Czarine: First Vision
by fanghail
Summary: 2015. The idol industry is changing. Big waves, from Krone to Fairy, are being made in a pond that's been relatively still for 13 years. In this scene on the brink of revival, producer Maya Miraflores and idol Iori Minase meet and begin to aim for the 22nd annual Idol Ultimate competition: they have only months to make it there, and years of buried history to confront on their way.
1. Three Nights

_Jan 3, 4PM: New York City_

"So? You've been back, what, two months now? How are you settling in?" Maya asked, locking her front door and struggling to get her coat off.

"Hm," Souichi answered, over the phone, "Fairly well, actually. I seem to have gained something of a reputation."

"Oh?"

"Well, I'm trying _very_ hard to live up to the flashy American returnee image, I assure you. I think it suits me."

"Pfff," she laughed, letting her bag drop onto the coffee table and settling in on the couch, "You're bragging. The OLs are all over you, I'm sure."

"In time, in time. But let's see... I went up to Aomori for about two weeks to spend time with my parents... I hadn't had the chance to visit them in something like two years, and they're happy to have me back in the country long-term."

"Aw. How sweet."

"And I took another two weeks off after _that_ just to get my bearings again, find an apartment, all that stuff. So I haven't really been back at work that long, considering."

"Hmm. They keeping you busy yet?"

"Ah. Not quite. Seems they don't really know what to do with me, haha. No big projects, just some background work – which is welcome, if I'm honest. I've been too high-strung for too long."

She kicked off her shoes, and began getting the necessities out of her bag. Still had a couple things to submit for work before the day was totally over. "Slacking off, huh."

"Sure! I'll admit it! We'll see, though; I'm more on the broadcast side of things now. I'm thinking of this as a general transition."

"Huh." She tried not to sound worried. "Are you still going to be working with Kay Kay, though?"

"Yes, just remotely. And likely not quite so often."

"I see. The girls miss you already, you know," she said, somewhat softly.

"You sound like you're talking to an ex-husband."

She couldn't help but snort at that one. "Stop."

He shifted gears, "But how are they? Heard you just got back from London?"

"Yes!" she brightened, finally opening her laptop, "The tour went really well! Kayla especially liked it. She was so excited the whole way through, you don't usually see her like that."

"Did you get pictures?"

"Official ones! Had a couple shoots there, actually, all the big places. Was pretty much the only sightseeing we got to do. The Louvre promo was particularly good... um, I have the finals for it here, gimme a second and I should be able to send them over. Yeah... things are still moving quickly."

"Good. And Wilson?"

The section head. Their boss. Well, Maya's boss, at least, Souichi had surely gotten a new one since he had transferred to the Tokyo office. She sank back further in the cushions, moping.

"Well."

He caught the resigned tone. "So you're not coming with me after all."

The night grew quieter. The sun was already setting, and she didn't quite feel like turning the lights on to compensate.

She feigned nonchalance, "Apparently not. He pulled me in as soon as we got back, said the Tokyo position fell through. Didn't explain more."

"Absurd."

"I know, I know. Already said goodbye to the girls and everything. Even signed the apartment lease, hah... I don't even want to think about all the wasted visa paperwork besides." Losing steam.

"Well, will he be keeping you on after all, then?"

"I mean, he hasn't said anything about _firing_ me." She shifted in her seat, curling up a bit. "But it's clear I'm not welcome. I know if I stay I'll just be pushed further and further away from what I'm actually trying to do, and... well, you know."

"Hm."

"Aha... sorry to spend this whole call whining."

He laughed, "I've come to expect it from you. I still don't understand why he has it out for you."

She tapped the laptop on again, slightly envious at it's ability to fall asleep so easily, and finally started to log in. "It's not me, really... I mean it is me, but it's more like where I came from? Since he didn't have any say in it when we signed, he never started to trust me."

"He did always go on about how lucky you were."

She threw her hand up, uselessly. "I didn't just... fall into this, though! He seems to think I stumbled in or something, instead of really making it there. It's frustrating."

He tried to lighten things up, halfheartedly. "It'll probably be good for you, hey. Getting out of there."

"I guess!" She sighed, almost growling exasperatedly. "Listen – you still like, know people there at least, right? I hate to ask, but could you ask around?"

She heard him wince. "I mean... it's been something like eight years since I've lived here properly, Maya. I don't know how many favors I could call in so early."

"Okay, I won't push you. But you're _sure_?"

"Reasonably so." He paused, stalling, and she let him. "Alright, I'll keep my ears open. But it's definitely not going to be with the label, and I make no guarantees on how much you'll like it."

She nodded. "That's fine. I'd take a foot in the door, anything."

"Again, I'll... I'll think about it, at least."

She held her hands up appeasingly. "Alright. Alright! I won't ask for more!"

"Let's be clear," he said, sternly. "Do you really even want to be over here? Is this just a sunk cost thing?"

"Man... I don't know, Socchan."

"Alright, do _not_ –"

"Maybe I do need a change of pace, I'm thinking. Like a serious one. I wouldn't know what to do, running in my same circles here after being shut out from them. It doesn't feel right." She paused, before giggling a bit, "I _did_ get kind of excited for the move, though."

He paused again. Was going to fight, but gave up. "Fine. I hear you. Listen, I need to head out soon, it's almost 6:30, and –"

"Oh my gosh! I completely forgot about the time difference, I'm so sorry!"

"I called _you_ , silly. Relax. I'm going to catch the train, but let's talk again in a few days. And send me the finals."

"Yes sir!"

"I'll see you, then."

"Hopefully!"

"Bye, Maya."

She stopped forcing excitement, and just nodded. "Bye."

She hung up and left the phone there. It was already so dark. She fumbled around for the lamp switch, and pulled herself up straighter. Stared right out her window at the fire escape five feet in front of it on the opposing building.

Ah. The laptop had gone dark again.

Why was everything happening at once?

* * *

 _Jan 10, 6PM: Honolulu  
The Meridian Hotel _

"Shigeru Ooyama. Namuko Productions."

"Maya Miraflores, Transreach Records. Pleased to meet you."

They shook hands. He had a surprisingly soft one for such an imposing guy.

Mr. Ooyama was a stocky man – large, but in the way that youthful strength becomes when put out to pasture. He dressed sharp, a shale-blue pinstripe suit he seemed a bit stiff in, and had a hesitant, unamused manner to him.

"Thank you for taking the time to meet me here," he said, "I apologize that we couldn't get a more proper setting for an interview, but..."

"No no, it's fine. This was really short notice, I also apologize. Face to face is always better, so this is pretty much as good as it could have gone!"

Unamused, unamused. "... I see."

They sat across from each other in a corner of the Meridian Hotel's lobby, which was connected to the convention center they were both attending.

"Well," he began again, "it is something of a lucky coincidence. I couldn't exactly pass up once Mr. Takeda mentioned we'd both be in Hawaii for the same event."

"Right? Haha. I've been planning to attend this one for a while, actually. It's come highly recommended, but it does seem a bit..." she shifted her weight conspiratorially, "well, you'll excuse me, but it's all very Hollywood around here."

"Yes, I'd noticed that." He cleared his throat. "I had trouble even filling a day with specifically music-oriented events."

"Mm." She sat back and clapped her hands. "Well, thank you for making the time again!"

"And thank you. Shall we get directly into it?"

"Yes." She stiffened and tried to get serious again.

"So. I'm sure you've done your research, and I've done a bit of my own," he began.

"Yes. That's good to hear."

"I'll say it up front, your resume is encouraging." He flipped through his notes. "Ah – when did you start with the, uh, the current group?"

She nodded, "2010. Kaycie and Micheala were fourteen and fifteen respectively when I began working with them, and we were signed to Transreach the next year. Mr. Takeda worked with us as a composer after that, and... well, here we are."

"I see. I know you're familiar with our three active performers – "

"Yes."

He looked up, "– but in addition to them, we have four others still in training."

"Yes, the president did mention that when we spoke."

He furrowed his brow a bit. "One of the reasons you stood out in our applicant pool was your experience with younger artists – experience that I haven't gotten much of, over the years."

Over the years, huh? It was weird that he seemed slightly uncomfortable here, given the veteran status she assumed he had.

But she was familiar with that trepidation. "Aha, I understand. It is... a rather delicate art, yes. I can't blame you."

"If you'd like to look over this for reference..." he took out a thin sheaf of papers and handed it to her.

She took it. Flipping through it, it was a series of introductory profiles. Miura, Akizuki, Kikuchi as she had expected on the first three pages, and as Shigeru said, four more. Hagiwara, Takatsuki, Futami – jeez, he had said younger and everything, but _twelve?_ – and Minase. A few... odd choices of photos, but stocked well enough with info.

"...Okay. I'll definitely study this." She lingered on the last page before closing it. "Thank you."

"I know this is a bit of a jump from your previous position. Hagiwara-kun would likely continue to work with me – but we'd be looking at you in a producer role for the other three full-time. Does that seem feasible?"

"Ah! Absolutely! Yes, you're right, going from two to three, or even four, is something of a jump, but in terms of workload it shouldn't be too far from the same, considering the difference in situation. As that pre-debut moves toward real careers, of course I expect to be challenged, but that's something I'm very much looking forward to."

She wasn't quite sure why she was trying to impress him so much. She was pushing herself to appear confident and put-together, which was of course what one did in job interviews, but this seemed more desperate of her, in a way. Maybe she was just getting excited about the job, now that it was more of a real possibility.

She tilted her head slightly, motioning towards him. "Actually, do you mind if I ask a few questions about you?"

"Oh. Of course." He seemed a bit confused as to why she would be asking.

"Great. You did mention you've been in this line of work for some time, and I was curious as to in which capacity?"

"Ah. Yes, well." Brow-furrowing again. She had mistaken it for annoyance at first, but it was beginning to look like embarrassment. "Well, you see, I've been in showbusiness for a very long time, but it's mainly been in more technical and backstage support roles... this is my first real talent management position, you understand."

"Ah, I see. That's pretty incredible."

"What?"

"No, I mean, it must be an interesting perspective. Most people, well at least in the states, come into talent management as managers already. It feels like you'd bring a unique view on it all, I guess. Ah! I don't mean to be flattering here. Just interested."

"Hm. Well." He shifted in his seat, crossing his arms. "T-thank you."

They talked a while longer. More logistical stuff; what she had done well and regretted in her previous job, if she was fully prepared for the move, etc. Shigeru had a lot of stories. Seemed very invested in his current job, but full of self-doubt about potential and preparedness. But he'd been doing well, from what she'd heard, and what she'd seen of the talent.

More than anything, she was curious.

And then the sun was setting in earnest again, and there seemed to be no more to say.

"Well. This has been a really good session, I think. Thank you so much again, Mr. Ooyama." She leaned forward, smiling.

"Yes. Thank you as well, I know this was quite short notice." He nodded, packing up his notes again. "I'll be speaking with the president once I get back, and... well, I should be able to get an answer back to you by early February."

"That sounds perfect." She smiled, stood up, and they shook hands again. He was firmer this time. "Do you have plans for the rest of the night? I've heard good things about the hotel lounge."

He gestured vaguely "Ah, no. I'm heading to the airport straight from here."

"Oh? Not attending the third day?" she said, mock-reproachfully.

He didn't catch any playfulness. "No, no. I hadn't planned to, based on the catalogue."

"I see, I see. Well, have a nice flight! I'll be waiting."

"I will. Thank you again, Ms. Miraflores." And with that, he nodded, she smiled, and they each left.

The night wore on.

Back in her room, she wound down. Had a glass or two of wine with the moon quiet over the ocean. She was torn – she wasn't sure how much she should look through the promotional book Ooyama gave her before she heard back a real answer. Preparedness versus investment, she supposed.

She couldn't help herself, though.

She held the packet above her, laying sprawled on the bed still in her work clothes minus the blazer. The first three she knew about, and the info matched up: Miura and Akizuki had carved out decent niches for themselves, but hadn't gotten all that ambitious yet, and Kikuchi was surprisingly popular for such a recent debut, but evidently still struggling to settle on an image.

As for the other four... well, she wanted _songs_ , for one. This was impossible.

Hagiwara seemed a quiet and refined girl, and her profile suggested as much. Weird to get vibes of "flighty" and "determined" simultaneously from the same photos, but that's how it seemed. Takatsuki seemed so vibrant that she was almost out of place, her energetic earnestness clearly being the main asset here. Futami… well, she didn't quite know how to feel about her being twelve and all, but the girl definitely had an extremely eager flair to her; a kind of genuine, uncurated playfulness that was rather rare. It was a very diverse group, all-in-all; she silently commended whoever was doing recruiting for balancing the roster so well.

And at last, miss Minase. Maya didn't quite know what to think about that one. She was classically cute in a way so measured it almost seemed forced, and a bit… full of herself, honestly, in her quotes. Even so, there was something there. She wasn't sure what. Even without hearing a word by the girl, she felt a bit of what she did the first time she heard Kay Kay sing, in that ancient old Youtube MV shot by their parents: _what would_ that _look like, polished?_

Ahh, she shouldn't have looked through it after all. She was getting her hopes up.

* * *

 _Jan 10, 7PM: Tokyo  
The Stella Theatre_

The night of the debut live had finally arrived. 961 Productions had spared no expense in the promotion of their newest unit, Project Fairy – everyone was talking about it. The few interviews the unit had been allowed to put out, and their debut single _Hatsukoi Part One_ , had painted them as a refined, almost dreamy group focused on pure love songs and an aloof but heartfelt image, and the excitement that had built was showing itself in the sold-out venue. For weeks the posters had been inescapable in the city, with each member of the trio – Miki Hoshii, Takane Shijou, and Hibiki Ganaha – perfectly posed in their wispy, elegant blue outfits. They were already big news without a single public appearance.

Takao Kuroi's shoes clacked on the backstage floor as he relished just how much work he had put into building that image.

"Are you all ready?"

"Yes, president." Takane gazed out onto the stage unreadably, the dimmed lights catching in her eyes.

"Again. This concert is the key to everything, our one chance to establish ourselves strongly. Make it count."

"We know. We've _been_ ready." Hibiki said, last-minute adjusting her costume.

Miki said nothing, only looking straight ahead. She smiled sharp.

"Miki?" President Kuroi pressed, with his sugar voice.

"Mm. Miki knows."

"Then go," he snapped, "I'll be at the office."

"Yes!" they answered in unison.

He turned on his heel, and they stepped away from each other – the three out and onto the stage, and the man further into the dark behind the curtains.

The first song began without introduction. Barely-accompanied delicate piano, with slight choral vocals. Blooming and swelling, as they took the stage proper for the very first time: Slow tempo. Gentle movements. Just as practiced.

"Hirai," Kuroi said on his way out, speaking to the younger man who had been waiting further in.

"Y-yes! President!" Hiroki answered, instinctively stiffening.

"Matsuda will be working with me on PR tonight," he slid his sunglasses off his face, frowning, "that leaves you alone with the girls. Take them out somewhere nice after – some fancy restaurant or whatever, but private. Calm them down."

"I understand. I'll take care of it."

"Good," he finished, standing in the open doorway. Waved slightly, over his shoulder. "Then, tomorrow."

The president let the door swing shut, and at that moment the power went out.

Back on the stage side of things, the dark fell totally without warning. The audience was in immediate confusion, but before they had a chance to react properly they realized that the blue glowsticks that the venue had provided were, one by one, beginning to flip to yellow in their hands. It was only a matter of seconds – but when the lights came back on, the three girls were in entirely different, rather provocative black and gold outfits. The speakers crackled to life again with an almost cruel electric whine, and a robotic voice announced the new order with a single word:

" _Overmaster_."

The guitar screamed awake, and then there was chaos.

* * *

 _Jan 10, 10PM: Tokyo  
Streets  
_

The night wore on. Even in the shelter of the ramen stand their breath ran white and sharp, mingling with the steam from the tiny kitchen.

"Hiroki Hirai," Takane said, in between cartoonishly large mouthfuls of her third bowl, "I earnestly request that you become our primary producer. I should like to have outings such as this more often. This… this is utterly wondrous."

"You're really impressed, huh?" he asked, half nervous and half proud. "It's a good one, then?"

" _Entirely_ wondrous."

"It _is_ pretty good," Hibiki chimed in, and then turned back, "Hey mister, can I get some more garlic though?"

"Good. Good," Hiroki said, "Y'know, the president wanted me to bring you to some upscale place, but I'm glad we came here. Was worried you wouldn't like it."

Takane put down her chopsticks and turned to him, deadly serious. "Hiroki Hirai. I promise you, this is the highest possi –"

"Alright, alright, we get it!" Hibiki interrupted, "It's nice, though. Really. Even if it feels all weird, us coming out here from _that_. Hehe."

Hiroki let himself decompress. Let the sound of passing cars drift by on the street behind them. The four ate in the brittle winter solace.

"Yeah. Listen, I'm not doing this to just be cheap. This is… probably the last time you'll be able to go out like this. Fairy is… Fairy is already big! And it's going to get bigger! So… I dunno, maybe this is a dumb gesture from someone like me, but I wanted to do it while we still can."

"That's true… Very well, I will savor it further."

Mood was getting too serious. "Anyway!" he burst out, "How did it go! How are you all feeling about it!"

Hibiki had clearly been holding the outburst in for a while – "Gyaaaahh! I can't even believe I made it through! We pulled everything off! Like, the costume switch, 'n all the choreo on _Kiss_ this time, an', an'… all of it! It was so tight, so –" she punched her palm "– so scary!"

"I was pleased to see it through," Takane added, "I had worried about our performance when it came time, but it's as Hibiki says. We were able to stay 'on top' of everything. It was… frantic."

"Yeah! I think… it was like, a really hard push, but it really feels like 'yeah, I can do this!' now, y'know. Like, like dancing, it was all like dancing, when you just close your eyes and focus and it all just happens!" Hibiki said, gesturing emphatically, and Takane nodded in agreement.

He brought it back. "What about you, Miki? You've been so quiet all night."

The girl seemed… not exactly in lower spirits, but certainly more subdued than her usual self. More focused. She had been deep in thought, resting her arms on the counter.

"Hm… well, Miki doesn't really know. But it… _was_ it fun?"

"You don't know if it was fun or not?" Hiroki asked.

"Nope, not really. I don't really get it yet." She tilted her head. "Miki does want to go back, though… and back, and back, and back again."

Hibiki leaned in, "Hah! 'Course you'd be the one saying that."

"Hey, Hiro," Miki said, turning to him. Since when did they get on nickname terms? "Can Miki really get there again? To those same lights, again?"

His chest swelled warm in the winter night. So much had happened tonight. His thoughts couldn't help but swing back to the president.

Kuroi had always come off as kind of prickly, even since he had pulled Hiroki out of his no-name job into the assistant producer role for Fairy, but… if the president had truly pulled this off, made the three this excited about their prepared path… well, he'd gained even more respect for him.

He smiled. "Yeah. More and more lights, Miki. That's what we're all here for."

"Then… shall we take that as a promise?" Takane asked, lightly smirking.

"Mm. It's a promise."

It was going to be a good run.


	2. To Meet You

_Mar 9, 12:30PM  
765 Productions Main Office_

Quiet! Tokyo was so incredibly quiet! Maya hadn't had a chance to notice that in her previous, oh, three or four visits to the city on various isolated galas, summits, what have you. There in the higher parts it seemed like the kind of corporate fortress town you could find in any city, but on her third day in the more everyday level of the country it had finally hit her. Well, practically anywhere was quiet after New York, she supposed. But the contrast counted!

So far she had just gone through the requisite motions. A short acquaintance with her new neighborhood (though she knew she wouldn't be seeing much of it), a preliminary fridge-stocking grocery run with somewhat less culture shock than she'd anticipated, and of course trying to navigate the unpacking. The anxiety about the new city new job new country was nothing to sneeze at, but she pulled herself together as she always did – and now it was the day of.

The job had gone through after all. Surprisingly quickly – she could tell by Mr. Ooyama's manner over the phone that the much-touted applicant pool had been smaller than expected, especially when you considered how easygoing and permissive the president had been on the same call. A bit… sloppy, if she was being honest? Ah well. That's what she was here for.

It was just on the brink of Spring. Clear sky, clear trees beginning to consider budding. It was a two-minute walk from the almost miraculously complication-free train ride, and then Maya was looking up, confronting her new workplace.

The Namuko agency was based out of a small building. It stood at four narrow stories crammed between its two neighbors, and was rather unremarkable among the quiet commercial district it occupied. The first floor was a restaurant, the second was unlabeled, and the third and fourth formed the office proper – endearingly trying to stand out with a homemade logo reading "765" in tape across its street-facing window. Mr. Ooyama – ah, _Ooyama-san_ , she supposed she'd have to hastily adapt to – had given her a general idea of it before, but she was hoping it was cozier than its apparent crampedness.

The wind pulled at the back of her neck, and she crossed the street to open the tucked-away door. She made her way up the dim but skylit stairwell, reached the fourth landing, and pushed open the frosted glass door for the first time.

She had meant to be a bit earlier than planned, but even so the quietness of the office caught her off guard. It was a small, dense little place – a bit run down, if she was being honest, but clearly well cared for. Apparently empty still, she began to map it out in her head.

There wasn't much to it. A door to a kitchenette stood open to her immediate left, and a coat-hanging area stood in front of a seating area to her right, cordoned off by two repurposed cubicle walls. Past these the office opened up into a larger space, housing a collection of desks, phones and computers in a corner where the two windows overlooking the street met.

She stepped in a bit further, unsure what to make of the silence. "Um, hello?" she hazarded.

"Ah! Miraflores-san?" A woman at the other end of the room, sitting at one of the computers by the windows, finally noticed her and shot up unsteadily. "Welcome, welcome! I didn't realize you'd be here so early, but that's fine! It's great to see you!"

Maya smiled. She was certainly energetic. "You as well! Otonashi… correct? I believe we spoke on the phone?"

She made her way over. "Yes! Hello, that's me. Kotori Otonashi," she giggled sheepishly, brushing a strand of hair out of her face and inadvertently getting it caught on her headset mic. They shook hands. "Ah... did you get here okay? Any issues with the trip? Here, here, I'll get you a seat."

She let Otonashi lead her further in, and continued with the small talk. "Oh, it was fine! I've been here for a few days, actually, and have mostly just been settling in. The commute was no problem; easier than I'm used to. Ah, but, um, your..."

Kotori continued obliviously. "Oh, phew. I know people here for the first time can have issues with the city, it's good to hear you're adapting fine. Ah!" They had reached the sitting area, two opposed couches with a table between them and a television against the wall. "I suppose I should start introductions – this is Miura-san!"

"My, hello! You've made it." A young woman with hair down to her hips looked up from the... seventh grade history textbook? that she had been absorbed with, and smiled broadly at the two. Azusa, Maya remembered, the current most senior performer of the agency.

"Ah, yes! Azusa, am I right? I've been looking into your work for a while, it's a pleasure to see you in person."

"You as well! Shigeru-san's spoken about you, and I think he should be up soon? Please, make yourself at home. Oh, let me clear off the table..." she said, and began gathering up a stack of papers and notebooks.

Maya took a seat across from Azusa, shifting her bag off her shoulder. Azusa wasn't quite what she expected at first glance, but that wasn't saying much.

"Well! I'll go get us some tea and snacks. Again, welcome!" Kotori said.

"Thank you," Maya nodded as she bustled away.

Maya and Azusa smiled at each other politely, but before they had a chance to make small talk, they both looked up at the sound of a door opening. Shigeru stepped through the front door, still in conversation with a young woman she recognized as Ritsuko Akizuki.

"I just want to make sure we have a _plan_ , you know," she said to him, frowning.

"To no small extent this is about _making_ that plan, we –"

"I know, I know, but – oh! She's here," Ritsuko said, finally taking notice of Maya on the couch and walking over. "Hello! Ah, you're early, thank you for that. I'm –"

Her face soured badly, her two braids seeming almost to droop. "Ami."

Maya heard stifled giggling from behind her and felt a sudden, very real fear.

"Put that down. Now."

"Whaaat? I wasn't even gonna do anything!" Maya spun around to two identical kids two inches away from her face, hastily trying to hide something behind the cubicle divider they were dangling over.

"H-how long have you been there?" Maya squeaked. Lost her composure a bit. "Wait, wait – there's two of you?"

"Oh, they've been there for a few minutes now. Ufufu," Azusa offered, smiling with her hands folded in her lap.

"We weren't doing anything, honest!" the one with the left ponytail said, more to Ritsuko than to Maya.

"Pfffhehe," the one with the right ponytail snickered, looking down at her, "she's so surprised."

"Why! Do you have to do this so early! Of all days!" Ritsuko fumed as the twins scuttled back over the divider and finally ran out next to her. Maya was still too startled to even respond.

Ritsuko pointedly ignored the two sidling up to her and tried to talk to Maya again. "Miraflores-san, I'm so sorry. These two are –"

"Ami Futami!" Right ponytail.

"Mami Futami!" Left ponytail.

"I was going to say _awful_ _troublemakers_ , but thank you for the late introduction," Ritsuko sighed, covering her face and pushing her glasses up. "And I'm Ritsuko Akizuki. Thank you for your frankly incredible patience, and welcome to Namuko Productions."

"Thank you. I – okay, thank you very much, Akizuki-san, but I'm actually more surprised about there being two Futamis...?"

Shigeru stepped in, "I apologize. I… well, this is my fault. There's been a bit of a development."

"Sorry, nee-chan. We weren't going to do anything too bad, we just wanted to say hi," Mami offered.

"Yeah. We hope you like it here lots and lots!" Ami added, taking what was apparently her textbook back from Azusa. "Honest."

"No, no, it's fine, just… Ooyama, can we talk about this later?" she hissed. She was trying to not make a scene, but this did change the deal quite a bit. She turned to the twins again, "And I appreciate it. But seriously, what were you going to…?"

The two dissolved into giggling instead of answering and Maya began to feel the true weight of the _second_ reason she had been wary of working with an actual twelve-year-old – gah, two of them now!

"Did something happen?" Kotori asked, returning with a tray of tea and crackers. Ritsuko took a seat next to Azusa, and the twins ran behind her this time, peeking over the opposite divider. Shigeru stayed standing, crossing his arms.

"N-no, no. We're fine here. Just making introductions," Maya said, a bit too hastily.

"Well," Kotori said, "we're still missing quite a few people. Iori-chan and Yayoi-chan should be arriving soon, and the other two..."

"Oh yes, are Yukiho and Makoto here?" Ritsuko asked.

"Yeah! They're upstairs," Ami offered. " _Practicing_ ," Mami finished, smirking.

"Again with the roof? I told them…" Ritsuko almost sighed, but caught herself. "Anyway, can one of you go get them? We need to start getting in a full group."

"I'll go!" and Ami was already out the door, tramping up the stairs.

Maya caught her breath.

"So," Shigeru said, "Again, welcome."

"Good to see you again," Maya looked back at him, unamusedly.

"You as well." He shifted his weight somewhat awkwardly. "I, uh, I do apologize for not informing you of Mami's being here earlier. It was a recent decision, I... well."

"Eh?" Ritsuko pivoted to face him, in a short burst of shock. "You still hadn't told her?"

"There was so little time! And – well!" he huffed. He was surprisingly embarrassed at the mistake, and struggled to find the words.

"It's fine!" Maya said, trying to salvage things. "Really. Um, as long as we discuss it this early on, I'm sure it'll be fine. Don't worry about me too much."

"Um... did I do something wrong?" Mami asked, leaning in again.

"No, no, of course not! Just a communication issue, haha..." Ritsuko scrambled to reassure her.

Maya cleared her throat. "Well! Now that that's out of the way... Ooyama-san, do we have anything notable planned for today? If not, I was hoping to ask something of you."

He regained his composure in turn. "Well. Before anything we should get you set up at your desk. And we have Akizuki-kun's event tomorrow as we discussed, but before then I'd like to meet with you and the president. But aside from that, please ask away." He nodded to her, making eye contact.

"I see. I was actually hoping to be able to interview all the girls, one-on-one." She turned to the three across from her. "I'd like to just get a sense of... what you're like, and what you're looking for. Just a bit to get acquainted. Is that an option?"

"My, how fun!" Azusa said.

"That... would be pretty valuable, actually." Ritsuko seemed intrigued.

"A plan, then," Shigeru said, satisfied.

"Wonderful. Ah, now I'm all excited again."

She was, she did mean that. She just hoped there weren't too many more surprises. Four was a very different game than three.

A commotion at the front door. Noises from outside, and several confused voices.

"S-she's here already?"

"Yeah, yeah, just go in!"

"I – I – okay!" and the door flew open, the three all but tumbling in together after clearly having run down the stairs.

"I brought them!" Ami announced.

Maya craned her neck back. The spiky black-haired one she was familiar with, and she seemed surprisingly nervous in person, standing straight up and flustered. "H-hello! M-Makoto Kikuchi here! You're the new producer?"

She stood up to greet them properly. "Ah, yes. Maya Miraflores, nice to meet you."

"Come _on_ , you two! Jeeeez," Ami insisted, dragging a second girl from behind Makoto towards where the others were gathered.

"Um. I'm Yukiho Hagiwara... Ami, let go of me already!" she protested. Ami did, and Yukiho walked over herself and bowed slightly. She was still sweating and in a practice jersey, as was Makoto. "Welcome! I hope we didn't make you wait too long, or anything…"

"No problem! You're perfectly on time, actually."

"I see." Yukiho finally made eye contact. "Please take care of me, then. It's good to finally meet you!"

"Sorry!" Makoto said, holding up her hand. "We were going over one of Yukiho's songs, and... didn't realize how long it was taking, haha! My bad."

"No, it's alright. Practice never hurts, and I'm here early anyway. Thank you for taking time out of that just to meet me."

Makoto smiled, still a bit flushed. "Ehehe... um. No problem!"

"So, um... is it just Iori-chan and Yayoi-chan not here?" Yukiho asked, dabbing her face with her towel.

"Mhm. They mentioned being stuck in traffic... shouldn't be more than a few minutes, though, they _are_ close." Kotori answered, checking her phone.

"Can't believe she's late _again_..." Makoto mumbled to no one in particular.

Maya turned back to Kotori, "And then that's… everyone?"

"Yes. Well, aside from the President and Chairman, of course. They're both a bit reclusive, though, you see… Oh! And of course there's a few other people we work with but aren't part of the agency; the trainers at the studio we frequent and all," she smiled.

"Hmmm..." She wasn't sure how she felt about that. It'd take at least a week of observation to begin getting a useful handle on how this place was run, and she wasn't used to not having some kind of practice area on-grounds. That did explain the roof a bit. "Well, I'll be looking forward to it."

"Now, while we're waiting," Shigeru said, stepping forward again, "well, I'd offer you a tour, but space is at a bit of a premium here… Akizuki-kun, would you be willing to show her around downstairs? The meeting room would probably work for what she mentioned."

"Yes!" she said, straightening up a bit. "Miraflores-san, if you'd come with me…"

The twins were immediately in an uproar. "Whaat? Ricchan, you're stealing her already?"

"Yeah, that's not even fair! She just got here!"

"Oh, relax, you two! You'll have all the time you need later today!" She shouted back, already leading Maya out of the room. She closed the door behind them, and through it a whole discussion immediately kicked up.

"Um… are you sure about this?" Maya asked, still looking over her shoulder.

She sighed, "Yes. This is all so new, they're excited and about to drown you in questions. A bit of space can't hurt." They had only made it a few steps before Ritsuko spun around again, eyes screwed shut and hands clasped before her face. "And! I really do apologize about the twins, again! I should have planned for you being here early, I had wanted to make this go more smoothly... You've been incredibly patient!" She raised her head hopefully.

Maya jumped to smooth things over, wincing herself. "It's... it's quite fine. Please, don't worry about it! I mean, it's helped me to get a feel for the place, if nothing else."

"Well... if you say so." They continued down the stairs. "But! Moving on! Our lower floor is mainly for storage, but we do have a few other rooms down here. Remember the sign you saw coming in? There's that, and the president's office. It's nothing too special, you understand, but… here we are!"

Ritsuko held the door open for Maya, and she stepped in. "Ah… Ooyama-san meant it about the space issue, huh?"

The place was filled with file cabinets and bookshelves full of binders, stacked worryingly high in one case. Not much else, actually – only a small foyer, a seat or two against the wall, and then two doors.

"So, we won't bother the president yet, but…" Ritsuko stepped forward again, opening the double doors on the opposite wall, "here's what we have. Does this work for you?"

Ah! This _was_ where the cute little sign was. A small window overlooking the street, with two couches on either side of a small glass coffee table. It was rather dingy – clean, but with unfinished walls and floor, and clearly in need of some refurbishment.

"You've been working out of this for how long?" she couldn't help but comment. "Ah! I don't mean to be rude, but…"

Ritsuko sighed deeply, rubbing her neck. "So you think it's an issue, too… seemed like I was the only one. This is where we hold internal interviews and smaller private meetings, though." She gestured to the whiteboard stand against one wall.

"Well… it seems functional, at least. Yes, this seems fine." She nodded, already coming to terms with it. "I can work with this for now."

"Phew! I thought you might've been scared off right away!" Her tone shifted a bit more sheepish. "And, um… I know it's a bit unfair to ask while we're alone, but do you mind starting with me for the interview process?"

Maya laughed back, politely. "Pragmatic! Yes, it's a plan."

"Thank you! And – ah!" Ritsuko jumped as her phone vibrated. "Kotori's messaging me… oh, they're here! We should head back up!" she said, and Maya followed her back to the stairwell.

Immediately upon reaching the landing again, they ran directly into the two late girls – one in a somewhat worn sweatshirt and overalls wearing a huge backpack, and the other in a rather uptight formal dress holding a stuffed rabbit – were just making it up the flight, clearly having rushed their way up.

"Ah! Ritsuko!" the second girl yelped, out of breath.

" _Just_ on time. Really, Iori, you need to get better about this…"

"It wasn't my fault!" she shot back, gesturing insistently. "Shindou keeps taking bad routes lately!"

"Ah. Hello!" the first girl said loudly, noticing Maya first. She bowed deeply, and seemed _not_ to notice her backpack slamming into the back of her head as she did so. "My name is Yayoi Takatsuki! Ever so pleased to make your acquaintance, Mirafuro... Mirafrole... producer...?"

"Aha, just Maya is fine. I realize it can be a bit tough. Pleased to meet you, too."

"Maya-san! Understood. I hope you really really like this place!" The girl beamed like sunshine.

"Wait, that's her? That's her?" the second girl asked Yayoi, hastily adjusting her hairband. "Aah, are we the last ones?"

"Ah. This is Iori-chan," Yayoi said, stepping to the side and holding her arms out to present said Iori-chan.

"Yayoi, I can introduce myself... a-anyway! I'm Iori Minase!" Her raised, eager voice echoed in the stairwell. "Does this mean I'll be d-debuting now?"

"Ah. Good to meet you as well! And yes, that's definitely our goal going forward. I'd like to get to that point as soon as possible." She nodded earnestly.

"Yes! Yes! I knew it!" Iori burst out, so excited that her rabbit's ears were flopping around slightly. "We've been waiting for this forever!"

"I'll try my best to live up to your expectations, haha..."

"Good. I'll hold you to it!" Iori smiled back in a wide, open grin.

"Anyway, come on, you guys," Ritsuko said, clapping for attention and suddenly much more stern. "Stop dawdling and let's all head upstairs now, alright?"

"Fine, fine, let's go!" Iori insisted, stomping rather emphatically past everyone to the next landing.

"Hehe… Sorry if Iori-chan is rushing a bit," Yayoi confided to her as they all moved upwards. "I'm excited too, though!"

Maya was last into the upstairs room, and was rather conveniently and rather overwhelmingly confronted with the full current staff of Namuko Productions laid out in front of her, looking up expectantly.

"Well," Shigeru said, taking the initiative, "Now that everyone's here..."

"Ah! Yes!" Maya performed a weird twitch somewhere between a wave and a bow. "Thank you all again for the welcome. Akizuki-san was just showing me around a bit more, and we met these two on the way up." She nodded to the group, trying to meet everyone's eyes.

"And welcome back! We're glad to have you," Azusa said, still sitting down.

"Yes, do feel at home here!" Yukiho added.

"Thank you, again. So!" She looked around the room one more time, making eye contact with Shigeru for confirmation. "Um. Well, I figure this is a good time to introduce myself."

She cleared her throat, and looked up a bit more seriously. "My name is Maya Miraflores, and as of today I'll be working here as a producer alongside Ooyama-san, with those of you still looking for work. For the previous five years I've been working in a similar role in New York, so I'm not exactly new to this, but I am a bit nervous about the move and all. So I'll definitely need help from all of you to get settled in! Thank you very much for having me!"

She finished and smiled, as the room reacted to her. A bit of oohing and aahing; Iori and Makoto especially were starting to press forward with questions.

Shigeru cleared his throat, cutting short most of the comments the girls were beginning to form. "Please, quiet for just a moment. You'll have time to talk to her later, but for now we'd like to go over the plan for today. Miraflores-san?"

She was a bit impressed at his ability to calm a room down, and continued after a moment's hesitation. "Thank you. Well, as he said, I'd just like to go over what Ooyama-san has set out for me. My first priority while I'm here is getting everyone currently inactive into actual work."

She let the second round of excited murmuring pass around, even more pronounced this time, before continuing. "And, um. It'll take me some time to get to that point, I'll admit! So to speed things up, today I'd like to talk to each of you one-on-one. A small interview of sorts, just to get a picture of where you all are – your goals and strengths, what we can improve on, and just about you in general. Does that make sense?"

"Yep!" from the twins, "Can we ask you stuff too, though?"

"Yes! Yes, please, actually. That part's just as important," she nodded. "Thank you. I really would like to get to know each one of you, not just the ones I'll be working directly with. And I know that will take some time – but I'd like to start somewhere. So, without beating around the bush too much, I'd like to start with the three currently active performers, and then move on to the trainees. Akizuki-san, would you be willing to be first?"

* * *

 **Ritsuko Akizuki**

"Well. Here we are again." Maya took a seat in the meeting room, breaking out her notebook – red pen, black blinding, fresh for the new job.

"Yes! Welcome back," she said, settling down into the opposite seat, "And, um, no need to be so formal, you know?" She laughed it off. "Just Ritsuko-san is fine."

She nodded, scratching her head with the end of her pen. "Got it! Still adapting, you know... Well, let's get into it, shall we? Let's start with just introducing yourself."

She nodded and began in a practiced sort of way. "Yes! Ritsuko Akizuki, 18 years old! I've been performing for just shy of two years! Let's see... I have one full album out currently, _Mahou wo Kakete_ , and am beginning to build towards my second."

"Mm! I've noticed. I mean, I've listened and everything, but I haven't gotten a chance to see you on stage much."

"Ah! That makes sense. We're not that big on official live recordings; that's something I'm trying to change," she said, a bit apologetically.

"An album is impressive, though," Maya said, looking up. "Especially in this timeframe." It had taken almost twice as long to get Kay Kay's first full record out.

"Yes!" Ritsuko sat up straighter, "I'm proud of it, if you'll let me brag a tiny bit. The process has taught me so much about my quirks and capabilities… I do mean to be aware of these things, and this especially is getting me closer to realizing how far I can go."

She was taking this as seriously as an actual job interview. "You seem very conscientious," Maya picked out, almost skeptically, "What about idol work drew you to it, actually?"

"Heh. Well..." Ritsuko cleared her throat, narrowing her eyes, "it didn't, really... The truth is, I actually started as an intern here a while back, working under Otonashi-san..."

Maya furrowed her brow a bit, surprised. She hadn't heard that part. "Oh? That's quite a dramatic career switch."

"Well, yes. It did seem necessary, though, and I don't regret it or anything..." she mused.

Maya began taking notes again. "Why necessary, then? I'm curious now."

"Listen, Miraflores-san..." Ritsuko sighed, and rubbed her shoulder, "I apologize for being so frank, but... I know Ooyama-san's been over this with you, but really. We aren't doing too well. Only three current debuts – when I got here it was just Azusa, too! – while supporting five others in training. We just don't have the manpower, the income... and, well, the president is the president; we're skating by on the leftovers from his glory days in the nineties, so I really had to take the stage to keep this place afloat... I-I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy being an idol or anything!" she scrambled, suddenly slightly flustered, "Every girl dreams of this! But..."

She blinked. That was quite a bit to take in. "I have begun to get that sense. Ah... Aki – Ritsuko-san, I am more than aware this agency has its work cut out for it, and, I mean... starting to tackle that is why I was hired, after all." She attempted a diplomatic smile.

"No, no, I get it!" She laughed, "I really am excited to see that, I didn't mean to only complain. I guess what I was getting at is, from what you've seen, what do you think?"

"About what? The agency?"

"About our chances, I mean," she explained, softening her tone a bit. "I suppose I'd like to hear about your plans for us."

Maya leaned back in her seat, appraising the girl. She seemed eager, motivated, and quite passionate; a very good first impression... she just hoped Ritsuko wouldn't panic and move too fast.

"Okay, okay," Maya said, sitting down normally again. "Sure. But I want you to ask me that question in a week. I do have goals and a schedule planned out, but they're very tentative... I'm going to need some time to settle in here, to get to know each of you, and figure out what the general direction is so far. Is that alright?"

Ritsuko nodded. "Yes! I understand. I don't mean to get ahead of myself, but... well, I'll leave it in your hands!"

"Thank you." Maya looked her in the eye. "I'm not going to start asking you to, or letting you do my job, but never feel like you can't talk to me about this. I'll go technical with you, if you'd like. I… this may be premature, but I think your perspective will be extremely helpful going forward. You have a good head on your shoulders."

"Thank you. Looking forward to making an efficient team!"

Maya regrouped, looping back to her more standard questions. "Well... dialing it in a bit – can you give me a picture of how you see yourself, as an idol? I have my own picture, but I do want to hear it from you."

"As in my strengths and weaknesses?"

Maya shrugged. "And what you feel your image is like."

"Hm. Ah, this is a bit much to think about." She furrowed her brow and crossed her arms, but immediately broke out again. "I like to think of myself as energetic, driven... 'straight-laced', maybe?" Her tone shifted up as she tried to phrase it.

"That's a good one, heh."

"Hm... on stage, I... well... ah, this is frustrating!" She took a deep breath, and started over more focused. "Most of all, I aim to be unpretentious and down-to-earth. I want to put myself out there earnestly. I know it's a bit of a cliché at this point, but… I _do_ want to do my best. The best I'm able to, and connect with the audience on those terms."

"... I see." Maya wrote.

She had collected herself again, and spoke surely. "What really made me interested in idols – in the field I mean, not just the job, is the audience aspect. Developing _alongside_ your fans – you understand? There's a sort of feedback that I don't think you get many other places."

Maya thought she did, at least. "Yes, I can imagine."

"I've been very lucky to have gotten a chance like this, and it's been... I've had fun, y'know? I wouldn't say I'm exactly satisfied with small-time, but I've very much enjoyed the space we've been able to establish for me. I've learned a lot."

The phrase "tight-knit" occurred to Maya – admirable, sure, but a non-standard relationship with fans. "Have you considered other roles in entertainment?"

"Oh, no," she waved her hand dismissively, "I mean, it's something I could only really do as an idol, you know? Oh, although I suppose I'm still a bit interested in production and management… someday, maybe. It was what I was training for in the first place, after all. So I'll be watching you closely!"

Maya smiled. "It seems you know exactly where you're going."

"Does it..." Ritsuko answered, laughing a bit nervously. "Well, sometimes it's harder to see something like that from inside than it is from out." A short pause. "Oh! Before we get too sidetracked, since this seems like another stopping point: I remember you saying you were taking questions as well?"

She was pleasantly surprised. "Ah, yes! Please do, please do!"

Ritsuko pulled out her own notebook – a thick one, well-worn and stuffed with post-it notes, and let it thud onto the table. "I do have a few, as it turns out. Mainly about your previous job, general management style, workplace preferences, a bit about your childhood..."

"I... I'm sure you do."

Ritsuko's glasses caught the light for a split second. "Well then, first of all..."

* * *

 **Azusa Miura**

At last the interrogation ended – hopefully that was the worst of it. Maya only had about a minute or so to recover, before a polite knock came on the door and the second girl, Azusa, walked in.

She peered in, as if unsure if anyone was there "Hello... I'm sorry, were you ready?"

She straightened up again. "Ah! Miura-san. Yes, of course, please have a seat!" Maya motioned.

Azusa was a surprisingly thin girl. That was, of course, to be expected anywhere in show business, not to mention _here_ – so maybe that's not what Maya was noticing. No, it was more the way she carried herself – wispy, light, curious. Her absurdly long hair, ankle-length skirt and sleeveless black turtleneck all gave her this fresh, elegant, and profoundly normal air.

"It's good to see you again." Azusa nodded, accordingly having a seat. "Did Ritsuko-chan give you trouble, by any chance?"

"Well, haha, you could say that..." Maya said, and Azusa nodded knowingly, with a small laugh. "She's certainly thorough. I don't mind though, that's a very good sign."

"I see, I see!" She looked around. "Now, well... what exactly was this about, again?"

"Ah. Essentially, I'd like to get a picture of you. What you're like, what your goals are... I said this to Ritsuko too; I know we won't be working together too often, but I'd still like to be familiar. And, if I'm not wrong, you've been with the agency the longest, correct? I was also hoping to get some insight into the place's history from you, if possible."

"Oh, I see!" Azusa said. "Yes, if I remember right I've been here for – oh, about three years or so?"

"That is impressive. What was starting out like?"

"I was the first girl here that Shigeru-san was assigned to, instead of the president," she said, nodding with a faint little trace of pride, "so a lot of it was very new to both of us... we were a bit clumsy, if you'll let me be honest! But we had quite a little story together. The agency has been very good to me, I mean that."

There was something a bit more serious in her tone, more than just wistful... Maya found it harder than expected to get a read on her. On the other hand, she would have to ask Shigeru about that same period – no wonder he'd called in for help, if adapting to Azusa had been difficult. "I see. Has it changed much since then?"

"Oh, the office has brightened up so much, lately! Ever since Makoto-chan joined, and then Iori-chan and the others. Everything seems to be moving much faster, now."

"Heh, it does seem like that already." She startled a bit, looking through her papers. "Um, I have done my own research and everything, but I'm looking forward to hearing about it. How it's changed, and all. I think I'm going to have to rely on you a lot!"

"Ahaha," Azusa laughed politely, "Well, I'm not sure how much help I'll be... Ritsuko-chan is definitely more on top of that sort of thing. But! I'll be happy to if I can!" She nodded emphatically.

"So – you're currently twenty, right? Everyone else is in middle or high school so I know their answers, but I was curious as to if you're currently enrolled anywhere? Out of curiosity."

Azusa smiled, in a half-regretful way that almost seemed like a wince. "Aha... well, no. You see, I'm actually focusing on my career here, for the most part..."

"Ah, that makes sense. This is a good time to be building reputation, I understand."

"I suppose so..." She held the wince-smile, not commenting too much.

"So. I do mean to speak to Ooyama-san about this, mainly out of curiosity since I won't be working too directly with you, but..." she looked through her notes, furrowing her brow a bit. "What are the goals of that focus, at the moment? What are you involved in?"

She nodded. "Well... things have quieted down for the most part, after last year... Ritsuko-chan and I were certainly busy, you know!" Her head tilted to the side for a moment. "It was a big year for both of us, and right now... I think we're both trying to decide where to go next? Oh, and there's a drama I'm preparing for, and Ritsuko-chan's thing with the fanclub..." she said, remembering with a sweet kind of excitement.

"Re-adapting."

"That's a good word," she smiled. "The work does feel normal by now, you know? But it never stops being new."

She made another note to ask Shigeru about whatever that big last year meant. "Ritsuko-san did tell me you each had found a stable fanbase for yourselves, that seems like quite an achievement on its own."

"Oh, yes!" Azusa visibly brightened again. "Yes, the ones who've stayed with us so have certainly been wonderful. Well, it sounds a bit silly to say off-camera, but... they've certainly made things worth it, I think. You do have to treat your fans well."

Maya felt something a bit off, still – it would take a long time for her to get used to the audience dynamics here, different as they were from the scenes she had previously run in.

"How do you see yourself? As an idol."

She perked up a bit. "My, that's an interesting question. I haven't really thought about that much, I wonder..."

"How do you mean?"

"For me, it's... well, I've never been the best at planning. I do have a picture of myself, but I'm really bad at forcing myself into an image! You see, early on, I dabbled in a lot of things I didn't really have interest in, just because they were there and would take me..."

Maya nodded along. That was a familiar story.

Azusa continued. "Hm, how do I put this... to be honest, I don't think I worry about image enough. There's things I want to do, and places I want to go, you know? And Ritsuko-chan and Shigeru-san have always pointed me in the right direction. I hope you see that side of them."

"I do, too."

"Oh – but I hope you see the good sides of me, too!" she realized, a bit mischievously. "Haha... Maybe you'll be able to word it better than I can."

She nodded, making another note. "I'll touch base with the others on when I'll be able to see you perform. I'm very much looking forward to that."

"Oh, you're flattering me!" she laughed, waving her hand. She opened her eyes. "But thank you, Miraflores-san. I'm excited to be working with you."

"You as well. Time will tell when I get a chance to… but still!" She closed her notebook, and they shook hands.

"Oh! And if you ever do need to hear any embarrassing stories about Shigeru-san, for whatever reason… be sure to let me know, alright?" She winked so quickly Maya almost missed it.

She grinned right back. "Oh, I'll be sure to. Count on it."

She stood up, waving. "Then! I should go find Makoto-chan for you, shouldn't I… I wonder where she is…" Azusa was already halfway out the door before she started and turned back. "Oh! And it was wonderful to chat a while! I'll see you again, Miraflores-san."

* * *

 **Makoto Kikuchi**

"So, Kikuchi-san! Please come in."

"Hello! Thanks for having me." Makoto waved winningly, closing the door and sitting down. She had already changed out of her practice wear into a more casual jacket and jeans. "Just here, right?"

"Ah, yes. Feels a bit weird saying it seeing as I just got here, but make yourself at home."

"No prob!" She settled in, leaning forward in the seat slightly. "Uh, by the way, Miraflores-san – how have these been going so far? As helpful as you were hoping for?"

How considerate. "Yes, actually. This is my first change of job in a while, so I hoped this would get me acclimated faster, haha... a bit of a stunt though, I suppose."

Makoto nodded, looking back eagerly. "Ah! You said New York, right? So, um, you must've been a pretty big deal, huh?"

"Oh, nothing like that," she stumbled. Didn't want people to have _too_ high expectations for her. "I was lucky to get where I did, and it wasn't _that_ high level. It was more the girls' passion and talent that got us that far; I only help carry."

"Heh. I can already tell you're too modest, you know." Makoto said, shifting her weight slightly.

Despite herself, Maya felt herself fluster for a moment. She didn't mean to start off talking about just herself... "A-anyway! Sorry to ramble so much. Mind if we start?"

"Oh. Sure!" Makoto responded, slightly off guard, and sat back again.

Makoto was a sharp girl. She had a high school athlete's physique, and a balance to the way she moved that gave it away if you looked close enough. Still, her effortless handsomeness didn't quite fit her – her eyes tended to wander, and her hands fidget, likely without her even being aware of it.

"So, just to start off," she said, tapping again the red pen against her lip, "remind me of how long you've been performing again?"

"Mm! Let's see, I started right around my birthday last year, so... a little more than six months? I'm still pretty new compared to Ritsuko-san and Azusa-san, ehe."

"Still, you've become appreciably popular in that time. You're quite the rising star, I've seen."

"Well, you could say that..." she said, glancing at something on the ceiling. She snapped down again, and nodded. "But! I'm happy with this kind of head start!"

She frowned slightly. "Did I catch a bit of regret there? Is it not going as you would have liked?"

"Well, how do I say this..." She wondered, looking away again before taking a breath and speaking more formally.  
"For a while, producer and I had a lot of trouble settling on an image for me. We talked about it a bunch, though! He taught me a lot about finding my way and being aware of the trends, and I'm getting used to it now."

"Well. Glad you're already thinking about things strategically." She flipped through her notes. "Hmm... I'll start at the beginning, then. How did you start working here?"

"My dad introduced me, actually. Eh, to be totally honest, I think this was just the first agency he found in the phonebook, haha..."

"That's... interesting." She made a note of that "Did he always want that kind of career for you?"

Makoto waved her hands apologetically. "Ah, no! J-just the opposite really. Um. Y'see, he's usually really against this kind of stuff! But since I'm growing up and all... we talked about me trying to be more... more..."

"More...?"

She faltered, breaking into a small laugh and waving dismissively. "Ahaha, sorry, sorry. It's just kinda embarrassing to bring up, after this long. I've just always been pretty tomboyish, I'm sure you noticed that... and I guess I wanted to try changing that about myself? And when I confronted him we had kind of a big fight about it... but he eventually understood."

"And immediately signed you up for an idol agency."

"Yep!"

She sighed, frowning. "But was it really your choice to come here? It sounds like something he pushed on you."

She recoiled, completely taken aback. "What!? I-it's been my dream, Miraflores-san! It couldn't get any better!"

"Ah. That is a relief then." She was struggling not to show her continued bafflement on her face. "So I assume that was what the image issues you mentioned hinge on?"

"That's right... Um, I know you've seen my songs and everything, and I know it's all still a bit in-your-face and tough, and that's taken me a long way already... but producer has me growing my hair out now, and we're taking on more kinds of jobs, lately... so... well, I'm thinking a lot about what I want next."

"Mm. You certainly seem in good hands, then."

"Sorry making you figure it out instead of just being up-front with it. It's just... well, it feels a bit weird to talk about with people besides producer." She paused for a moment. "Ah, though I suppose you're a producer as well. I hope you don't mind or anything."

Was she being too harsh? "No! Oh no, this is the just the kind of thing I'm here to learn about. It certainly helps me understand you better."

"Oh, I'm glad then! And, just since I'm not totally sure on what's changing now that you're here – will we be working together at all?"

She nodded, subconsciously edging towards business mode again. "Well, I'm sure at least sometimes. I'll also be handling general organizational duties, but I'll be much more one-on-one with the newer girls."

"Ah, that's what I thought..." Her head dropped a bit, seemingly disappointed.

Did – did they think so highly of her already? Maybe she hadn't given herself enough credit... "I- I'm not that big of a deal or anything, like I said. You won't be missing out on too much – especially when you've been working so well with Ooyama-san!"

"Oh, I'm not worried about me!" she scrambled, "Again, I'm doing fine! It's just..." she looked around as if someone could be watching, and then leaned in in a very self-serious whisper. "Well, don't tell them I said this, but you _definitely_ have your work cut out for you."

She blinked. "Oh?"

"I mean, I _like_ all of them and everything, but they're still... difficult to handle." She met Maya's eyes, taking on a grave tone. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Are – are you worried that much?" Maya asked, suddenly thrown off and reaching for her bag. "Are they in some kind of trouble?"

"What?" Makoto looked back at her, perplexed, before starting to scramble to clarify again. "Ah, no, I keep saying this wrong... it's _you_ I'm worried about."

"Me."

Makoto nodded once.

"I – I promise I'll be okay, haha. I do know what I'm doing, and they seem perfectly nice so far. How bad could it be?"

"Mm. Well, I'll believe you, then." She sat up straight again, finally getting her smile back. "Sorry, ehe. I must seem really mean, right now."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," she said, making one last note. "Nervous, at worst. But we're all working on that."

"Well, " Makoto beamed, standing up with a sharp little grin that crinkled her eyes. "Thank you for listening to all that, again! I look forward to working with you!"

She closed her eyes and smiled, bending forward politely. "You as well, Kikuchi-san! I'm very glad to meet you."

"And, um! 'Kikuchi-san' is a bit much, hehe. You don't have to do the whole last name thing." She waved dismissively.

Maya looked at her a moment, blinking once. "Makoto-chan, then. Alright. Send the next one in?"

"Yes, ma'am!" she grinned again, and left.

* * *

 **Yukiho Hagiwara**

Maya looked up again – she'd almost not noticed the door opening again. "Ah. Hello, Hagiwara,san."

"Um... hello as well!" Yukiho slipped in, nodding at her and sitting down.

"I think I'm getting into the swing of things now," Maya smiled, lying through her teeth, "so I hope this goes smoothly! How are you?"

"I'm well! Thank you. I've – I've been looking forward to this." She sat politely and with an easy straight posture, hands folded in her lap.

She made a small show of rearranging her papers. "So. Before we get into things, do you have any questions about what we'll be going over?"

She shook her head. "Oh, not especially. I think you explained just fine earlier – I'm ready."

Oh, she liked this one. "Great! Well, to get started then. How long have you been working here, again?"

"Ah, I see. Well, only a few months, so far…" she offered, brow very faintly furrowed, "but most of that has been in training, so I'm not quite sure how much it counts."

"No, that's all I was looking for," she smiled. "How has the agency been?"

"Oh, wonderful! I've already met so many rather amazing people... And I've already come to terms with Namuko not quite being the richest around, and I know things can be tough…" she looked up again, suddenly worried about the impression she was giving. "Not to discourage you or anything."

"No, no, I've noticed." There really was only up at this point.

Yukiho nodded. "Mm. But even so. Producer-san has been working with me so closely to get me ready to debut, and I just… I just… I hope I'm able to repay it! If that's possible for me…"

"I'm sure it will be," Maya nodded, trying to be convincing.

She nodded, brushing her bangs out of her face. "Thank you."

"Um." She readjusted herself, moving a bit forward on her seat. "Well, just going off what you've said – it seems as if you're very committed, regardless. What made you choose this line of work?"

Yukiho took a breath. "Well... I felt as if it was a next step for me?"

"Oh? In what ways?"

"Well, I've always been interested in music, to some degree. I studied piano when I was younger, and chorus more recently. And that was fun and everything, to be sure, but for one reason or another it never really stuck?"

"Mhm. Why was that? The environment?"

"Yes, that's a good word for it." She frowned lightly, trying to phrase it properly. "I... wanted something that would challenge me more. Something that would really push me."

It was good she was aware of the pressures, at least. "In terms of your skills?"

"Yes! Yes, both in performance, and…" She seemed a bit put on the spot. "Well, you see, what I mean is that being here would help me change my _self_ , I think. Um, for a long time I've been pretty bad with people... I don't have that much confidence in myself, even now... And I know it's all probably beyond me, but..." She looked up, shaking her head and smiling a bit sheepishly. "Well, I figured the whole sink-or-swim thing might work, ehe. A bit, at least."

Maya sat back. "That's... quite admirable, actually."

"...You're not worried?"

"Well of course you have to think about risks," she explained, gesturing with her open notebook. "But since you had the guts to take that first step in the first place, as you said, if nothing else it's clear you're taking it seriously. That's what matters."

Yukiho smiled, a bit more calmly. "Hm. I see."

"Ah, but –" Maya began, looping back, "– you said you were bad with people? I know I haven't been here even a day, but even so, I haven't seen any of that – you seem to be perfectly comfortable around everyone here. What do you mean by that?"

She nodded slightly, but noncommittally. "Well... that's because I know everyone here. We're friends, or at least acquaintances on good terms... and most of them aren't _boys_ , either..." She trailed off.

"Ah. I take it you have issues with that?"

"Yes, um. I'm not _hopeless_ or anything," she said, "it's just that... I still don't really know how to talk to them properly, and I freeze up alot, so..."

Maya raised her eyebrows, crossing her legs with a short sigh. "Well. You certainly picked the right field if you're looking for exposure, I suppose. Makoto-chan just mentioned something similar..."

"Mm, I'm sure she did." Her eyes moved to the window for a moment. "I think we're all still trying to settle on who we want to be... even Ritsuko-san, and Azusa-san, if you ask me."

"That's a process that never truly ends – it's encouraging you're aware of it. How has it gone, so far?"

She looked back, not quite getting it. "Has what, do you mean?"

"The whole 'changing yourself' thing. Singing, confidence. Have you made any progress?"

"Well... aha, that's..." she gulped, averting her eyes slightly. "A bit... at least..."

"Well, I'm sure you're getting there," Maya said, trying to be reassuring. "You always have to start somewhere, and –"

Yukiho interrupted her, unexpectedly forcefully. "I... I really do want to be more confident in my voice first! This is all so different than chorus, and there's so much to catch up on... P-producer-san always says I spend too much time on lessons, and perhaps a part of me does want to put off debuting... but... I think I know what I need to focus on right now!"

Maya just sat there, a bit shocked. She was surprised the girl could muster that kind of directness. Yukiho immediately balked at the lack of response, "S-sorry. That was probably a bit excessive..."

"No, no no. Not at all. That was really good."

"Eh? R-really?"

"Absolutely. I'd love to see more of that; learning to really say what you mean." She smiled. "Isn't that a part of what you were looking for?"

"Yes! Ahaha, I suppose that is… That makes me really happy to hear." She smiled, losing herself in thought for a moment before remembering something. "Oh! And… do you mind if I tell you something?"

"By all means."

"Producer – ah, Ooyama-san, I mean – has been very good to me, ever since I've been here. He's one of the first men I've felt comfortable being around for a long time..." She glanced at the door guiltily. "But um, just between you and me? He often doesn't understand girls all that well."

Maya narrowed her eyes a bit. "Heh. Well, that's one way to put it..."

"I know it's a bit indelicate... but I think the whole office will be glad to have you here, even if not everyone lets on at first."

"I understand. I know I have the four actually assigned to me still left… but everyone I've met with so far seems wonderful. I'm excited to get to know you all."

"Well, um…" she smiled a bit forcedly, eyes closed as politely as she could. "G-good luck with the rest, then!"

"Ahaha… Thank you, thank you."

Yukiho fidgeted in the short silence. "Um, do you enjoy tea, Miraflores-san?"

"Hm. Well, I drink coffee more often, but I like tea a bit better. Why do you ask?

"Well, I know this agency isn't the most formal place. But I did want to get you a small welcome gift, just in case." She leaned forward, opening her bag. "Here go you."

Maya took the gift-wrapped box – a simple blue-and-white striped one – thoroughly caught off guard. "Ah. T-thank you, Hagiwara-san. I'm... touched? Thank you so much."

"It's a blueberry matcha blend," she explained clearly, pointing out the side of the packaging. "I wasn't sure if you'd like herbal types or proper tea better, so I thought this would be a nice balance."

"I – I don't quite know what to say," Maya said, smiling unsteadily still, "I'm excited to make some! Have you tried this yourself?" She looked back.

"Ah, no, actually." She shook her head. "Do let me know how it is, though!"

Maya met her eyes and nodded. "Tell you what – I'll make a pot tomorrow; let's share a cup when you get in. It'll be a conversation starter."

Yukiho sat up a bit straighter, caught off guard herself this time. "Oh! Um. Thank you for the offer. I'd be happy to!"

"No, thank you again!" she held the box up again, looking it over. "Really, this is already making me feel at home."

"Thank you! That's very nice of you to say, hehe."

"Aha, do you really think so? Thank you, I –" she started, and looked back at Yukiho. Her composure faltered, and she couldn't help a muffled little laugh.

Yukiho broke into giggles as well, shaking her head. "Sorry, sorry. I'm sure we're both thankful at this point."

"Well! This was a nice chat. And, uh, I know we won't be working together regularly, but please do feel free to reach out any time. I know the very beginning is a rough phase, and I'd like to help."

"Thank you very much!" She bowed. "I'm happy you heard me out."

"It's my pleasure. I'm looking forward to hearing more!"

Yukiho looked back at her and nodded. She left the room, smiling softly to herself on the way out.

* * *

 **Yayoi Takatsuki**

Yayoi sat happily across from her, looking her expectantly in the eye in utter silence.

"So, hello again..."

"Mm! Hello." No change.

Ah, the pressure was incredible. Just incredible. Unbearable, like looking at the sun. Yayoi was an absurdly innocent-looking girl, polite and clueless, in the way that made you just terrified of making a wrong movement and somehow spoiling it all. Ah, how to approach this...

"So, um... since we'll be working together, I wanted to have a small talk with you, just to get to know you a bit. Is that alright?"

"Sure! Hello! I'm Yayoi Takatsuki, thirteen, and, um... umm... what else do I say here...?"

"Oh, you're fine. Just... anything you'd like me to know? An introduction."

"Well... ummm..." She looked like she was really struggling.

Maya immediately felt terrible, and tried to back things up. "Aha... sorry, don't worry about it too much. We can –"

"No, I can do it!" She suddenly stood up, clenching her fists. "I like cooking, and taking care of plants, and helping out around the office, and my family, and, um... I'm alright at dancing, I think! And memorizing! But the trainers say I still have to work on my singing! And I like school and going to the movies and cooking too!" She thumped back down again, with a pointed look.

Maya sat back, still a bit bowled over at that barrage. "Wow. That was pretty good."

She laughed nervously, sitting back again. "Ehehe... really? Sorry, I'm not too good at knowing what to say all the time."

"No, no, you were very enthusiastic. That was fine!" She smiled, then opened her notebook again. "So, Yayoi-chan, now that I know a little about you. Why did you become an idol?"

She seemed to settle down a bit. "Well... it was Iori-chan who introduced me to everyone here a little after she started... but, well..." she shied away a bit.

"What is it?" Maya tried to say as kindly as possible.

"Well," she said, turning back, "it's a little complicated, you know? I was thinking about it a lot while I was waiting to talk to you... Pretty much, since I started talking to everyone here, they all told me about these big reasons they have for working. Yukiho-san wants to get stronger, and Ritsuko-san knows just where she wants to be, and Iori-chan has really a lot she wants to, do! But for me... umm, I'm mostly just here for my family, I guess?" She shrugged.

Well. Family issues were not exactly an uncommon theme, so far. "Your family?"

"Mm. You see, I have one little sister, and three little brothers, and mom and dad don't make all that much money even though they work so much. So I thought, since everyone here was so nice, and Iori-chan was so happy, um... I thought that it'd be okay to try it out here, and I could start helping my family more?"

"I see, I see." Alright, a bit heavy. But still.

Yayoi met her eyes, looking slightly guilty. "Do you... think that's bad?"

She started scrambling like an idiot again. "What? Of course not! That totally makes sense, honestly. It's nothing to feel bad about!"

The girl looked away, not entirely satisfied. "Okay... it's just, well I said it before, but everyone else has these big, big plans and all. And I'm still not sure, so..."

"So we'll find it." Maya relaxed a bit, slowing down and trying to be convincing. "It might take some time – but it's okay to start without knowing exactly where you're going."

"... Are you sure?"

Ah, this was going to be an incredibly delicate one. "Yeah. What people want to do always changes over time – we learn more about our jobs, and about ourselves – everyone here, no matter what they say, is still finding that out. Just like you."

"Well... that does make sense. So no one really knows what they're doing?"

Maya laughed, "Well, that's one way of saying it. But really, no. No one ever knows what they're doing, not _really_. They only have an idea, and that idea is always changing, and growing."

She clenched her fists in front of her and was back to beaming. "I guess that's right! You're pretty smart, Maya-san."

"Ahaha… if you say so! But – we do have to start somewhere. Is there a goal – however small, or vague – that you'd like to aim for first?" She folded her hands in her lap.

"Well…" Yayoi thought, looking down with her puppy eyes again. "Is it okay if it's a little big?"

"As big as you want."

"Then… I'd really wanna have a big live, with everyone! Iori-chan, and Ami and Mami I mean… If I'm here then I have to go all the way, right?" She frowned insistently.

"That's the first thing we aim for, then! A combined concert will be sure to get attention besides being fun, so that's not a bad idea at all."

"Uu-uu!" she outright cheered. "I feel like I have it all figured out now!"

"And you're thinking about everyone else, too." Maya mused, before checking her notes again. "Actually, I've been wondering – are all four of you close?"

"Yep!" she nodded, and started to explain. "Iori-chan and I go to school together, and she's my best friend! And Ami and Mami are so much fun, I've never really seen it before… so… so… I really want to stay here, after all!"

"Well. I'm glad to have you here, then."

"You too!"

"Then – do you have any questions for me?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Um… Well, I'm not too good at thinking up stuff like that… Oh, but I'm sure I'll have plenty of things to ask you later on!"

"Good! I'll be waiting, then – I'll come see you later on once I finish with everyone, and then we have a short practice scheduled."

"Mm! I remembered! Ehe, I get to show off a little." She stood up and made to leave, but stopped suddenly in her tracks. "Oh – do you want me to go find Ami now?"

"That'd be great! Thanks so much."

"Mhm! Thank you very much, Maya-san!" She bowed deeply again, with force enough to whip her pigtails downward, somewhat worryingly. "See you!"

Ahh, jeez. Maya leaned forward on the table, cheek propped up on her hand. Where was she going to start with this one? Yayoi was so incredibly bright, strikingly so – but that detail towards the beginning worried her badly. Girls her age should not have to be worrying about a work-family balance... she leaned back in her seat again, looking out the taped window to the street. None of this was going to be easy.

* * *

 **Ami Futami**

"Hi!" Ami said, popping in, "Ami Futami, reporting!"

"Ah! Thank you. Come on in, please sit down," Maya said, gesturing.

Ami came further in, smirking in a way that Maya was already used to – but she did look a bit guilty, honestly.

She paused in the middle of the room, considering her. "Hey, nee-chan... are you still mad about that, by the way?"

Maya looked back up at her, being diplomatic about it. "Well... it was a pretty big surprise, but I'm not _mad_. From how Ritsuko-san reacted, you guys do stuff like that a lot?"

"I dunno. She always says we play around the office too much, but it would be kind of gloomy without us." She sat down, "You think so too, right?"

"Ask me again in a week," she warned, smiling. "Ritsuko-san has certainly warned me about you two already, I'll be harder to catch off-guard."

"Eh! I-is that a challenge, nee-chan?" Ami started forward, eyes sparkling.

Maya's smile soured immediately, forcing itself to stay. "Aha... I wouldn't go quite that far, but..."

She didn't back down. "Oh, no, I totally get you! I'll be ready!"

Maya laughed halfheartedly again, choosing to let it go for now. She moved to ground the conversation again.

"So, Ami. I want to use this time to essentially get to know you a bit better, and talk about your expectations for being here."

She nodded along. "So stuff like why I want to be an idol, or how I feel about the work and everything, right?"

"Yes, exactly!" She opened her notebook. "Well, since you mentioned it, we can start off there: why do you want to be an idol?"

"Huh, well, I don't really have any big reason or anything..." Ami said, already making a show of thinking. "We pretty much just saw one of Ricchan's shows and went 'Ah! That looks fun!' and when we showed up here the president liked us. So probably because it looked fun?"

"Hm. What about it is fun, though?"

"It just... the excitement, right? Every time we watch people on stage there's just... so much! Everyone there is like yaaah! All at once! The crowd, I mean." She seemed to think for a moment. "So, since dancing's fun, and singing's fun, the more people there are the more fun it is. Right?"

"Yeah," she nodded, bemusedly, "that does sound right."

"That's all it is, really," Ami said, somewhat self-satisfiedly. "So can I ask you questions now?"

Maya was a bit surprised at her enthusiasm. That was fast. "Um... sure, if you'd like."

"Okay!" Ami grinned and leaned forward again. "Do you like dogs or cats better?"

"Oh." Not quite what she was expecting. "Well, cats I suppose."

"Boats or planes?"

"Planes, probably?"

"Hmm..." She tilted her head. "Favorite flavor of candy?"

"Well, um... mango, maybe...? Ami, I –"

Ami interrupted, scooting forward in the seat with a particularly urgent question. "If you could have one superpower, what would it be?"

Alright. This was the deal with kids. Maya leaned back with a small sigh, frowning as she worked through how to approach this – what was clear is that she'd have to stop messing around with the conversation, and get serious. Ami was already completely setting the pace, and it was time to put her foot down.

She cleared her throat, looking Ami in the eyes sternly. "Telekinesis."

Ami gasped dramatically. "Wow, nee-chan! You didn't even have to think about it at all! That's so cool!"

"You answer now," Maya said, crossing her arms, "You have me curious."

"Eh?" Ami recoiled. "Y-you can't just put me on the spot like that, you know!"

"Then think about it! But now I do need to hear it," she cautioned.

Ami got surprisingly deep in thought again. "Hm... well.. let's see... flying? It would have to be flying, right?"

"Would it?"

"Gyah! But being invisible, too... hmmm..." She was really struggling.

Maya stepped in. "Well, let's see. What's the appeal with each?"

"Well, with flying I could go anywhere I wanted, you know? It'd be really easy, and if I got invisible I could sneak up on anyone!" She got a little glint in her eye. "Uhuhu... they'd both be pretty useful, you know?"

"So it's a freedom thing, then."

"Hm?"

She gestured with her pen. "Being able to go anywhere without being stopped. Is that it?"

Ami picked it up easily. "Well, yeah. Yeah, I think so!" She shot Maya a sideways look. "Huh, you're sharper than you look, you know?"

"Then that's something we can aim for, huh?"

She tilted her head. "What? Being invisible, really?"

"No! Well, probably more like flying, since we'll _want_ people to see you... but getting to that same 'going anywhere' feeling!" Maya shook her head, looking down to her notes again. "Maybe that's a bit dramatic, haha."

"Really?"

Maya looked up again. "Hm?"

"Can you really do that? Can it really feel like that?"

Ami was really into it. Both hands on the table, face furrowed in an incredulous pout. She could only answer.

"Yeah. Yes, I really think it can. I've seen it happen before – when people are at their very best."

"That's... kind of amazing!" She sat back down again, and calmed down a bit. "Will you really help with that?"

"That's my job. That's just what I'm here for."

"Well... well... I'm gonna take that as a promise then!"

A lot of promises so far. Well, this one seemed worth it at least. "Let's make it one."

"Alright! Then, can I keep going?"

Maya had hoped she'd forgotten about it... no luck. "Yes, yes. Go ahead."

Ami swung forward again, arms crossed. "So do you like hot or cold weather more?"

She was actually expecting a serious question for a moment there. "Cold, definitely."

"Hm, hm. Then, what about going camping or going to the beach?"

"Ah. The beach for sure."

"Ehh? That makes no sense, though?"

Maya giggled slightly. "What? Why not?"

Ami looked back at her, almost worriedly. "You just said you liked the cold more. So you can't like the beach."

"Well, what's wrong with cold beaches? Like in the winter."

Ami looked at her for a long moment before continuing. "Huh. I get it. You're kind of a weirdo, nee-chan."

She closed her eyes, letting her head droop slightly. "I-if you say so..."

"But okay!" She threw her arms out, and jumped up. "Those are all my questions! I'm done now, I'll go catch Mami for you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep! Uhuhu... But, now Ami has a complete profile on you, you know! I know everything about you now! You better be careful..." She rose to her feet, pointing at Maya menacingly.

She just smiled, closing her notebook. "I will, I will. I'm glad you learned so much!"

"Yep! I hope you learned a little bit too, I guess." Ami brightened up completely. "Seeya, nee-chan!"

Ami skipped out of the room, waving. Maya waved back, and then deeply exhaled and fell back into her seat. Okay. Round two.

* * *

 **Mami Futami**

Mami, almost immediately, barged in. "Hiii! Mami Futami, present!"

"Wow, that was fast! Thank you, come in," Maya said, jolting up and trying to play it off.

Mami smirked slightly at the reaction, but then shook it off and sat down. She looked around the room, curiously. "So is this just the same thing as everyone else?"

"Well," Maya said, "Yes. Just trying to get a picture of who everyone is."

She leaned forward, hands clasped under the desk. "I'm ready! Let's do it!"

Maya shook off any trepidation and didn't miss a beat. "...Alright. Let's just jump in, then. I'll start where I did with Ami, ah – why do you want to be an idol?"

"Huh, well, I don't really have any big reason or anything..." Mami said, grinning a bit embarrassedly. "We pretty much just saw one of Ricchan's shows and went 'Ah! That looks fun!' and when we showed up here the president liked us. So probably because it looked fun?"

Wow. Word-for-word. Maya was almost impressed. "She said the exact same thing, actually... alright. What's the fun part of it for you, then?"

"Well... hm. It's kind of hard, you know."

Our first point of divergence! "...Oh?"

"Okay, so Trainer-chan is always talking about how, like, you have to _turn into_ someone else when you're doing a song, right?" she gestured to try to get the point across.

Maya nodded a bit warily. "It's good advice."

"And I want to, um... I want to try that! I wanna talk to people like that!"

She frowned. Didn't quite get it. "Talk to people?"

"Like the people in the crowd? Whoever's watching, I wanna show them something really cool, and, like... see what they think about it?"

"See...?" She was getting lost.

"Aah, this is haaard..." She frowned but tried again. "I want to be a lot of things! And do a lot of things! And see a lot of things, too. And have people see me back, whoever I am!"

"And being an idol lets you do that?"

"Yeah!" she said happily, "At least I hope so. Can it, nee-chan?" She tilted her head.

How sweet. She nodded, clicking her pen. "There's a lot out there, a lot we both have to discover. I'll make sure it can."

"Ehehe... you better!" Mami beamed back, bouncing in her seat slightly.

Well, that had gone a lot more smoothly. Maya moved on, turning a page in her notes and looking back for a moment. "So, Mami. How long have you been here, again?"

"Uh. Just a month! Ami came here a little before me, since they didn't know about taking both of us at first... was that why you were so mad at aniki?"

Again, Maya was having a hard time keeping but with how she spoke. "'A-aniki'?"

"Yeah. Oh, that's how we call Shigeru-san. Just like how you're nee-chan now. Got it?" She pulled off a little pouty frown.

"Ah. I see." Was she getting suckered into playing house? "No, I wasn't mad about that either, really. Just taken off guard – but you don't have to worry about that!"

"Um, and you said I can ask questions here too, right?"

"Yes, of course." Maya braced herself again.

"Well..." Mami fidgeted slightly, almost nervous to ask. "What was last time like?"

"Last time?"

"Yeah," she nodded, concernedly. "You said you were with those other girls for, like, _ten years_ or something... was it hard to come here?"

"Ah. Yeah." She blinked. "Well, it wasn't quite that long! But even so, yes, it was a bit hard – I'd gotten very used to it, and saw them come a long way. But! Various things happened, and here I am."

"Was it fun?"

She blinked. Wow. She had never really thought of it in terms of fun or not fun before. "I guess I did have fun there, yes. A lot certainly happened."

Mami nodded, seriously. "Hm. Well. Then you just have to stay here for that much time then, right? And have just as much fun, right?"

"That's not a bad idea, haha. I certainly hope I can get to that point!"

She couldn't help but raise her voice, speaking more insistently. "But I wanna know more about it! What was the biggest, biggest thing you guys ever did? Did you get to be in any movies?"

"No movies, no." Maya thought for a moment, clicking her pen absentmindedly. "We weren't quite that big, and I don't think they would have been particularly interested in acting… we really did focus only on music."

Mami didn't quite get it. "That's it? Shouldn't it be more?"

"Well – they were more just singers, not really idols… they're not quite the same job."

"Huuuh… so what was fun about it, then?"

"Well we still did things! The music was fun enough on its own. There were still concerts, and videos, and tours – oh, we just had a recent one through Europe, actually!"

"Eh? Really? Like Paris and stuff?"

"Mm!" she nodded, visibly a bit proud of herself. "And London, and Berlin, and a few others. It was the last big thing I was part of at the job, actually."

"Will we get to go there sometime, too? Can you do your producer magic for that?"

She leaned forward a bit, internally wincing. "Well… I can't make that promise. We'd only be able to start thinking about that much further down the line…"

"I understand, I understand." She nodded, overly seriously. "We have to prove ourselves first."

"That's a way to put it, yes. Right now, building a fanbase is what we have to focus on – we won't get to go anywhere without that."

Mami nodded, standing up with fist pressed to heart. "Then! I'll go tell Ami! By the time we're in high school we have to completely take over Europe!"

Maya couldn't help but laugh a bit at that. "Pfff... well, that's certainly a high goal!"

"Bye, nee-chan! We have so much planning to do… and, if I'm not mistaken, Ami has some extra information to give me now, right? Uhuhu…" She darted out the door, but after a moment stuck her head back in. "And, um… thanks for talking to me like that. I really mean it…" She kicked the side of the door lightly, her eyes averted to the floor.

"It's my pleasure. Even if I can't do anything else, I can always talk."

"M'kay. That's it! Bye then!" Mami nodded, grinning back once more before leaving for real. "Ami, hey Ami…!"

* * *

 **Iori Minase**

Right on cue Iori entered the room and walked to her seat, shooting Maya a quick suspicious glance on her way.

Everything about Iori gave off this sense of tension. From her hairband pulling her hair back uncompromisingly tight, to her already knit brow, to the way she dressed, or how she held her stuffed rabbit with crossed arms. Immediately Maya knew she couldn't afford to say the wrong thing.

She put in the first word, almost moving to stand up but deciding against it. "Well, Minase-san! I apologize for the wait, thank you for being so patient."

"Hm. It's fine, I went last for a reason." Iori sat down daintily, adjusting her stuffed rabbit in her lap. "Also, don't call me that, alright? It's just Iori-chan."

What _was_ that reason, Maya wondered. Waiting to see what everyone else had thought? If that was right, Iori didn't seem too impressed with what she'd heard; a far cry from her excitement earlier in the morning. Hopefully it wasn't too late for first impressions.

Had to swing apologetic, here. "Got it! Sorry, sorry, I'm still trying to get used to honorifics in practice, haha. Thanks for reminding me," she smiled.

Iori looked back at her coolly. "Well, I guess that's to be expected." She at last softened slightly and sighed, gesturing vaguely with one hand. "You're Spanish or something, right? I get it, I get it. It's not that hard – basically the same idea as _tu_ and _usted,_ just more specialized."

Maya perked up at the clear conversation starter. "Ah. The promotional materials Ooyama-san provided me with did mention you were multilingual. That's pretty impressive – five, right? Why the interest in languages?"

"Six, actually, and it's not like I had a _choice_ in it, I..." she began to explain, but then snapped back, "Listen, are we going to have the actual interview thing or just keep wasting time?"

There went all her plans. "Iori-chan... um, please think of this more as a conversation, rather than a formalized interview."

She looked back, disappointed but not surprised. "Hm. Sounds like you aren't taking it all that seriously, then."

"I don't mean just small talk!" she said, maybe a bit too defensively. "Really, we're going to be around each other a lot from here on out, and getting to know you off the stage is just as important as figuring out what you're like on it."

"Well. I _guess_ you have a point on that." She thought about that for a second, but turned back again, frowning. "B-but I still want to seriously talk about debuting! Since you're apparently in charge of that now, what do I have to do?"

Oh, she was going to be an interesting one. Alright. Maya shifted strategies, and sat back in her seat.

She put her pen down. "Convince me you're ready. That's pretty much it."

"That's it?" She still held the frown.

"Yes. After this, we'll head out to the studio with Yayoi-chan and the twins, and I'll see where you're all at."

"Hm... And then?"

"And then we'll talk."

"Hmph," she pursed her lips slightly, sitting back in her seat again but considering it. "Well, I am ready. I'll tell you that now, okay? You'll see, pretty much right away."

"And why are you so sure of that?"

"Just look at me! I've already been training for months, I'm naturally gorgeous and talented, we have plenty of connections through the president and the other guy... I just don't get why Shigeru is waiting so long!" She made a little exasperated motion with her non-rabbit hand, and brushed back her hair.

She had said all of that completely matter-of-factly, without even a trace of bragging, and now looked back expectantly.

She wasn't even sure what to say. "Well. Give me a chance to see that talent, and we'll start moving."

Iori continued looking back – the disappointment had almost a tinge of pity to it at this point. It wasn't often that you could feel someone palpably losing faith in you – she tried to reclaim the initiative.

She leaned forward, closing her notebook for a moment. "Iori-chan – why are you so set on being an idol, anyway?"

Iori remained cool. "What do you mean? You sound skeptical."

"Not at all. I'm just wondering... why this is important to you. What are you looking to accomplish?"

"Well," she said, closing her eyes and smiling. "It's simple, really. I want for people to be able to see how special I am."

"So popularity."

The smile faltered a bit. "I mean, obviously, but not _only_ that." She became a little more serious. "Listen. When someone says 'super idol Iori-chan', I want them to know who that is. Not just because I'll be all over TV, or because everyone else loves me – but because they see my talent for themselves."

"Those... are very high-goal assumptions, I hope you're aware."

"Of course. Haven't you been listening? I've been telling you I'm aiming for the top, so all you have to do is get me on my way properly. Easiest job in the world, right?" she finished, brightly.

Maya exhaled shortly, sitting back. This was setting up for even more growing pains down the line than the twins hinted at. "Ambitious."

"Yes. It's me, after all." So self-assured.

"Alright," Maya said, leaning forward again, "we are not going to that kind of excellence unless you're ready for some very serious preparation. You will not get by on just talent. I really want you to understand that if you're committed to aiming that high, I'll have to be demanding."

She clearly took that as a challenge, which was the best that little gamble could have gone. "Be as demanding as you want, then! I'm telling you I can keep up. Easily!" She leaned forward insistently, "Is that understood?"

Maya just looked at her for a moment, not really sure what to think. "Alright. Understood."

"Good!" Iori sat back again, brushing her hair off her shoulder again and crossing her arms. "Now, if you're going to be so demanding as you say, I'm going to, too. You can't expect me to push myself that hard if you don't properly facilitate a supportive environment for me, right?"

"Sure. Yes, I suppose." Where on earth she got these buzzwords, Maya had no idea.

"Good. Then, don't forget that _you_ work for _me_ , and we'll get along perfectly!" She beamed, pointedly.

"I mean, yes. That's the idea. Not quite so subordinate, but..."

"But what?" She made eye contact, with that same smile.

"...Nothing. You're right, you're right."

"Good. Then let's go!" she said brightly, standing up and brushing herself off.

"Ah... excuse me? Go where?"

But she was already at the door. "What? To the studio, obviously. Like we just talked about."

Maya started, reflexively reaching out and fumbling with her things. "We weren't exactly done with the interview, you know? I still had a couple things to go over..."

"Hmph!" She looked back, one eyebrow impeccably raised. "What else could you possibly need to know about me?"

Well. Maya supposed she was right. What else indeed.


	3. Secret Live

_3:15PM_  
 _GAMI Performing Arts Studios_

 _Go my way!_ Go mae e! _  
Let's all step forward eagerly!  
As all those shining things alight  
Upon this hand, and always stay…_

The four held the note, and Maya clicked the stereo off as the song ended.

"Right, right!" the dance trainer called, clapping her hands. "Nice job. Let's break here, 'kay?"

A collective exhale passed through the four for a moment before they collected themselves again, turning back around from the mirror wall they'd been facing. The twins hi-fived, Iori reached for her towel, and Yayoi was already jogging off to bring everyone their water. Maya watched, thought, and waited for them to regroup.

Hm.

Well, there was a long way to go. It was as good as she could have expected. A few months of training had given them all a baseline of knowing what they were doing, but it wasn't enough for any real polish yet... she could work with it though; that's what mattered.

"Miraflores-san," the trainer – Taniguchi, as they'd just been introduced – said, turning back to her and interrupting her train of thought. "Should I get right into it myself, or would you like some input?"

"Oh, I'm just here to watch, today," she deflected from her chair at the back of the dance studio, hands folded in lap. "Thank you, though. Don't let me get in your way!"

"Gotcha," she nodded – a sharp woman in her mid-twenties with spiky hair, quick eyes, and an easy smile. She spun around again, just as the girls collected themselves. "Right. Yayoi-chan."

"Y – yes!"

"You noticed where you stumbled?"

She fumbled, working it out on her fingers. "Yes. Um, on the first chorus part, and the part where we move to second pattern..."

"And at the second chorus."

Her face fell, starting forward. "Eh! Wait, really?"

Ami moved in from next to her. "Mhm. You went like _this_ instead of _this_ ," she said matter-of-factly, motioning the steps in question, "but you were watching yourself too hard to notice."

She brought her hands to her face, "Ah! I thought I did it right!"

"We'll point it out next time, don't worry," Taniguchi said. "Speaking of which, Ami – you're showing off too much."

"Whaaat?" she pouted, confused. "I was just helping her!"

"What? Haha, no no, that was good." She shook her head. "I meant in the actual routine – your embellishments usually work, don't give up on them – but they don't make up for actually learning the footwork."

Mami tapped her foot, carefully averting her eyes. "Hmmm… well, if you put it like that..."

The trainer looked down. "Have you been practicing, at least?"

"Uh. Yep!" Ami said, standing at attention.

"Yeah, we usually do a bunch when we get home," Mami joined in.

Ami balked a bit, "I think I'm just clumsy lately…"

"Yeah, sorry… oh! Should we go again!" Mami pressed, pushing forward with hands clenched in front of her.

"No, no. You know what to work on; we'll have actual practice later this week."

Ami nodded vigorously. "Mm, mm! We'll fix it by then!"

"Good," the trainer grinned back before turning. "Then, Iori-chan."

"Yes!"

"You're still losing your breath," she pointed out, gesturing shortly. "You're fine through one song, but halfway through the second... you're doing your stamina drills still, right?"

"Of course I am!" She beamed.

She crossed her arms. "Really?"

"Absolutely!" Iori insisted. "Isn't this good enough?"

"I mean. Are you alright with falling behind everyone?"

"I'm not, though! Am I?" She looked back to Ami for reassurance, before turning back with her face set. "Listen, I'm doing them _most_ of the time!"

"Every day," she snapped, still severe. "If you don't have the dedication…"

She frowned even harder, leaning forward, "I totally do! How is that even a question?"

Taniguchi brushed it off, shrugging exaggeratedly. "Remember, you're not doing this for me. Skipping only hurts yourself."

"Um, Iori-chan…" Yayoi leaned over, appeasingly. "We can start doing them together, right? Like on the way home, or during lunch, or something?"

Iori was immediately disarmed, crossing her arms and sinking back a bit. "O-okay… that would help me, since… fine, then…"

"Great!" Taniguchi clapped. "It's a plan for you two. Now, speaking of drills –"

Collective groan.

* * *

The place wasn't bad at all. Basic and nothing special, but slightly past the "bare fundamentals" stage. Maya continued half-watching for a while, taking the very occasional note, as Taniguchi ran them all through some familiar exercises and a cooldown period. And then her phone alarm was nudging her, just as scheduled, and it was about time to wrap up.

"Good work, all of you," she said, meeting them in the hallway as they came back from changing. "All your things together now?"

"Yep!" Yayoi nodded, beaming from the front of the pack. "We're going back to the office now?"

"Yes. I have a few things left to do, but... do you all usually head home from there?"

Iori looked back at her. "I get picked up today, so I have to."

"And we'll be fine!" Ami said.

"Let's go back!" Mami said.

"Great. Then let's head out."

She turned and began to lead them towards the back staircase, through the sterile but cozy studio hallway. She was surprised – she'd expected the twins to pull the group into chatting immediately, but there was a spell of silence for a moment. Had she said something wrong, or missed something? She couldn't afford to let the very beginning stages run awkward….

Thankfully, Yayoi worked up a bit of courage and skipped up to Maya's side. "Um. Can I ask you something, Maya-san?"

"Sure. Always, that's what I'm here for. What's on your mind?"

"Um... so we don't really hear from anyone but the trainers on how we're doing, except for Ritsuko-san sometimes... so I was wondering, if you had anything to say? About our preformances?" She looked up expectantly, tipping forward a bit.

"Yeah! They leave us alone mostly." Mami said, catching up too.

"Yeah," Ami chimed in, lingering behind a bit, "Aniki does his best and all, but..."

Maya pushed open the door, and held it open as the four began tramping down the stairs. "But it's not the same, right? You guys still need direction, and attention."

"Exactly!" Iori said, turning back from the lower landing she'd been the first to reach, voice echoing in the new space. "They've been ignoring us since we got here. So you're going to be fixing that, right?"

"Yes." She was already learning you had to be direct with Iori. "Again, that's what I'm here for. Let's see, though, how about this: Taniguchi-san looked like she was giving you fine technical feedback, and I won't add to that. But would… general things to aim for help?"

"What do you mean?" Ami asked, head cocked as she skipped down two steps at a time.

"I mean… well, goals other than the technical sides of things. More broad projects to work with." She frowned, trying to think of how to word it properly. "Yayoi-chan. Can I use you as an example?"

"Yeah! Please go ahead!" She slowed down a bit, matching Maya's pace at the back of the group.

"Well. As an example. You said that they're pushing you to work on vocals, right?"

"Um… yes."

"So how do you do that?"

"Well… I'm not really sure…" She looked towards the ceiling as she thought, taking deliberate steps downward. "Um, I don't really know how I should be changing mine, so –"

"But you have a great voice!" Maya said. "It's not a matter of changing, or what it _should_ sound like, you know?"

"Really?"

"Really. That's just personality. There's no good or bad voices."

"Yeah but what if you're _really_ bad at singing?" Mami said, frowning.

"Even that isn't a bad voice, not really." She squinted from the sunlight hitting the windows at a lower angle, but kept moving. "You're only bad at singing if you don't know how to handle your voice. How to get it to do what you want."

Yayoi considered that. "... Mm. I _think_ I know what you mean..."

"Then that's what I want you to focus on. Let's talk with the voice trainer, and see what we can do – okay?"

"Okay! I'm okay with that!" She finished by nodding seriously, "Just, um. I might not get it right away."

"That's fine. We have time, alright?"

She nodded again, trying to outdo her previous ones. "Alright!"

"Great!" She turned. "Then, Ami and Mami."

"Yeah!" they responded, perking up together.

"What do you like about dancing?"

"It's... just fun, I guess," Mami said.

Ami stretched her arms out absentmindedly. "I like moving around, and showing off..."

"And it's really cool when you finally get it down!" Mami said, stopping in her tracks.

Ami nodded, and turned to consult with her. "Yeah! Like... hm, how do I say it..."

"It's like... hm. Oh, I don't know! It's like playing? I can't think about it that much!" Mami finished. Ami was skeptical at that for a second but went with it.

Maya watched them, slowing her steps as they came to another landing. "So you like being able to make it your own."

"Yeah!" they said in unison, and Ami continued, "But we just got yelled at for it!"

"Then here's what I want you to work on: improvising, like the trainer said, is fine. But sticking to a routine is important too." She stopped for a moment as they rounded another landing. "There's a way to do both, right?"

"No," Mami glared.

Ami shook her head, eyebrows raised condescendingly. "That doesn't make any sense, nee-chan."

She closed her eyes, starting to move again as Iori got further and further ahead of them. "Okay, what I'm trying to say is... let's work together more on the official routine. Put anything you'd want to try there – does that work?"

"So... just… tell everyone before we do it?" Mami tilted her head.

Maya nodded, glad it got through. "Yes. You're not here to just be told what to do – these are _your_ songs, _your_ dances. If you don't like any part of them, we have to change it."

Ami was a bit caught off guard. "So – so we can make it whatever we want?"

Ok, she did balk at that one. "I mean... within reason. I promise I'll consider any ideas you have, and do my best with them."

The two immediately turned to each other, huddling conspiratorially. "Ehe... Ami, did you hear that?"

"Yeah, we'll have to go to the drawing board, now..." Ami finished, snickering.

They reached the bottom of the stairwell, and Iori interrupted them all by pushing the door open again. Fresh air at last after the hours of studio fans – it smelled like rain. It was a small parking lot, crammed in the space behind several buildings, and Maya took a moment to scan the asphalt. With a little prompting from Yayoi, they picked the car out again.

"And, Iori," Maya said, fumbling for the keys in her bag as they walked over.

She seemed more energetic than she had on the stairs somehow. She glanced over her shoulder from the front of the group. "You're going to say I'm ready, right?"

"It seems like it. There's a long way to go, but…" she glanced at the pavement, considering it. "You memorize well. You perform well. I can see that you take to it naturally."

"Hm! Flattery will get you nowhere, you know!" Iori said with a hint of a smirk as she tossed her hair and very much let the flattery get her somewhere. "I told you that much a million times before we even got here!"

They made it to the car. "But," Maya said, "can I ask you to think about something?"

"Sure, I guess. What do you mean?" Iori asked from the other side of the car, just the top of her head visible. Yayoi and the twins took their places in the back, already starting their own conversation.

"I want you to think more about the feeling each song has."

"That – that seems basic, right?" Iori stilled on the handle.

"Of course. But it's how you start getting really good. Mami mentioned this to me earlier – it's more than just the right movements."

Iori stared back at her just a second, unreadable due to pretty much only seeing her forehead, before jerking the door open and plopping down into the passenger seat.

Iori said something, muffled by the car itself and the sound of the door slamming. "Wait, what was that?" Maya asked, quickly dropping down and getting in.

"I said, 'if you say so.'"

"Seatbelt," Yayoi politely offered from the backseat, and Maya and Iori clicked theirs on in unison.

Maya continued. "It'll clear up the bit of stiffness you have, and –"

Iori turned sharply, baffled. "How am I stiff? What do you even mean by that?"

"I just –"

"You have to be more clear about it! You're not really making sense, you know?" Iori said. She resolutely looked at the window. "But fine, I can at least think about it… as – as long as you actually get me somewhere, okay?"

"Got it. Another deal."

"Hm." She waited a long moment before continuing. "I'm trying my best. Do you think I'm doing something wrong?"

"Not at all," she said, starting the car. She spoke to the group as a whole as she swiveled around to back out. "But it's something we all should be thinking about."

The car pulled out smoothly onto the street. "So what next?" Ami asked.

Mami clung to the back of the seat. "Yeah, yeah. Do we get to go on TV right away?"

"Well. I do think we're ready to start auditioning now, yes. But, the first step," she announced, "is a bigger focus on lessons."

"Eeeh?" the twins whined from the back, "Even more?"

Iori snapped to face her again from the passenger seat. "Yeah, you _just_ said we were ready for work now!"

"Yes. Which is why we need a final bit of polish."

Iori frowned, turning away with an elbow planted firmly by the window. "Ugh, are you really going to make us exercise and everything?"

Mami broke in, leaning as far as she could towards the front seat. "You won't make us run around the block like aniki makes Yukipyon, right?"

She almost snorted laughing, but managed to hold herself back. "W-what? He does?"

She nodded back vigorously. "Yeah, like every day!"

"Nee-chaaan, do we really have to?" Ami whined, crowding forward also. "Why can't we just go out with Ricchan now?"

"Maybe she'll let us tomorrow?" Mami said, suddenly distracted.

Iori pressed the other issue. "We're already doing too much, Maya! Especially since we'll be busy soon, right?"

Ami turned back, answering Mami – the two conversations were running into each other. "She'll get sooo mad if we ask, though…"

"Then! Yayoicchi, you're gonna ask her!" Mami said, pointing across the backseat to her.

"Eeh? Me?"

"Yeah!"

"So you need to focus on what's important now!"

"Will she even let us…"

"Hey! Are you listening?"

"But, but last time she said that –"

"You guys!" Yayoi broke in.

The car immediately went quiet, with only the sound of the engine.

Maya stole a glance back, very taken off guard, as Yayoi waited for a second until she was satisfied enough to begin again. "You know, what we have to do right now isn't nearly as much as what Ritsuko-san or Azusa-san are doing, right?"

Mami answered a bit sheepishly, "No, I mean... of course not, but –"

"And they work really really hard, right?"

Ami seemed a bit offended almost, before trailing off. "Of course! I mean, probably…"

"Then we already have something to aim at! Maya-san!" She leaned towards the front seats through the divider between them, crowding out the twins. "Let's all do more lessons, then!"

"Pfffhaha," Maya shook her head. "Thank you, Yayoi! I'll talk to Ooyama-san – see if we can get in on one of Miura-san's practices?"

Yayoi nodded, satisfied with resolving the whole thing. "Yeah! Then we'll see for real!"

The twins tched but acquiesced. Iori remained fixed at her window, cheeks slightly pink.

It was a short ride – Shigeru had made sure that the studio the agency patronized wasn't too far from the office. And with that, they had already stopped in front of the building again, back at last.

"Ah! Mami, it's almost six!" Ami burst out, checking her phone.

"Eeh, you're right! We should hurry, then..."

Ami looked back as the two bolted from the car. "Sorry, nee-chan! We have to get home soon, or mom'll be mad..."

"That's fine! We'll talk more about hours later, no worries."

Mami answered for her, "Mm! Well we usually have to be home before eight? But, but, we're gonna go grab our stuff, and then we'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Great! I'll see you then."

"Bye then!"

And then they both were gone, sprinting up the stairs. Iori stepped gingerly out onto the sidewalk, Yayoi already stretching a bit in front of the office door. Maya locked the car, and joined them in the evening.

"They still have this much energy?" she asked bemusedly, looking up to the lit fourth-floor window.

"They always do," Iori said, arms crossed next to Yayoi. She tugged at her just-too-thin-for-the-weather jacket a bit.

"Yeah, they're pretty incredible!" Yayoi said, obliviously. "Even I have trouble keeping up."

It was a nice night. Crisp air. They trudged up the stairs together.

Yayoi winced a bit. "Sorry if they're hard to handle, ehe."

"Everyone seems concerned with that…" Maya said. "Makoto-chan made it sound like they were terrible, but it's been fun so far."

"I think so too!" Yayoi nodded, smiling more broadly again.

"She's such a gossip," Iori spoke up. "She thinks she can say so much just cuz she has a little head start on us."

"Iori-chan, be nice…" Yayoi cautioned.

"Fine! Just don't listen to her, alright?"

Before she had chance to respond to that one, the door slammed open above them. The twins came barreling past them down the stairs, loaded up with their coats and backpacks.

"Ah! You guys ready for tomorrow?" Maya managed to call to them as they practically fell past.

Mami waved. "Yeah! Be here at four and everything!"

"We got it, we got it! Seeya!" Ami readjusted her bag on her shoulder and hit the door.

"Ami, we're gonna miss it – !" They slammed out to the street again and were gone just as quickly as they showed up.

Maya took a breath in the sudden quiet following that little whirlwind. "Well," she said, reaching the fourth story, "How long do you all usually stay here? It is getting late..."

Their footsteps echoed on the unadorned metal stairs. "Umm… it depends, but not too late, really," Yayoi mused. "This might be the longest I've stayed?"

"Yeah," Iori said, readjusting her custom-embroidered pink duffel bag over her shoulder as she took last step onto the landing. "We don't have much reason to, right now…"

The four stories back and forth from the office was going to get old quick, but it was what it was. Maya went inside. "Well. I'll try to let you guys out as early as I can, if that's a concern."

Iori answered first, following her in and turning straight to the cubby area by the doors. "I don't… really mind staying late. Work is work, you know."

"I do have to make dinner and everything when I get back, but I can make time if I have to. I'll figure it out!" Yayoi furrowed her brow a bit, stuffing something in a backpack pocket. "And, I know Ami and Mami's parents worry about them alot, so you might have to talk to them?"

"Ah. That's a lot to keep in mind. But I got it, thanks for letting me know."

"Anyway," Iori broke in, taking her coat down. "We're leaving soon, Yayoi, you should get ready."

"Oh yeah. I need to get my books, though!"

"You should hurry then," Iori cautioned, "he should be here in just a few minutes, he said…"

Maya followed Yayoi over as she began packing up at the table, figuring she could use the help. The twins had apparently left the place a bit of a mess.

Yayoi sat down on one of the couches, backpack open on her lap. "So, um… about tomorrow."

"Mhm?

She reached across the table for a notebook. "Do we need to have anything special ready? Or is there anything Ritsuko-san wants us to do…

Maya sat down across from her, gathering the scattered worksheets and tapping them into alignment. "I don't think so. Just be ready to pay attention, is all."

"So you _are_ coming, too?" Iori called from over the divider.

"Yep! The whole time." No response.

Yayoi tucked the last stray frog-patterned folder into her backpack, and they stood up together. Iori was already all packed up, holding the door open.

"Come on, Yayoi! The car's waiting," Iori called from across the room.

"So I'm gonna get driven home now. But, um. Today was super fun! Thanks for coming, and, and everything else!"

"I'm glad you had fun, heh."

"Here!"

Yayoi held her hand straight up, expectantly. Maya had absolutely no idea what to make of that insistent smile. "Oh, is this – is this a high five?"

"Hi-touch!" They high fived.

"Aha… I'll remember the word. Got it!" She couldn't help giggling about that, it was just so… cute. What else could you even call it.

"Yay! We'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Mm. Take care, alright?"

Yayoi bowed again and ran off, waving from the door. Iori looked back, and gave one nod before they hurried down the stairs together, not even leaving Maya enough time to wave back.

She let the door swing shut on its own. Hinges were a bit loose.

Hahaa...

Maya sighed, taking a seat at her new desk. Shigeru would be up in just a moment, and then to finally confront the president she had heard so much about. The last hints of the sunset blushed at the horizon, and she took a breather here while she still had the chance.

She looked down at her workspace – a recently decluttered allotment on the one long desk that she'd apparently be sharing with Shigeru and Otonashi. She brushed it off a bit, tested the materials of the various paper holders and stationary left for her, and finally turned back to her computer.

Two pieces of mango candy and a plastic spider were sitting on her laptop.

* * *

 **Junjirou Takagi and Kotori Otonashi**

"A ha ha!" President Takagi boomed, "I was right about you!"

Maya and Shigeru were both wincing a bit, Maya incredulously and Shigeru very much used to it, as he continued.

"Yes, yes, I knew it from when we both spoke – but in person it's even more clear! You have an incredibly successful face, Miraflores-san, I'm sure of it."

"Aha... thank you?" was all she could think of to respond to that. She shot a glance to Kotori, standing across from them as well but further to the right, but was met only with her same broad smile.

The president nodded deeply at her, unfazed. "I'm absolutely certain you'll do great things with this agency. We're very lucky to have another veteran with us."

She balked. "Well, I wouldn't exactly call myself –"

"So! Tell me, tell me. How was your first day?" He stood back on his heels, still smiling. "Shigeru, did you show her around properly?"

"Ah, yes," Shigeru stepped forward, unfazed, "She acquainted herself wonderfully with everyone, and is just back from the studio."

"That's good, that's good. The first step!" He cleared his throat. "Well. I won't keep you too long. But I just wanted to take this time to say hello. And officially – welcome to Namuko Productions."

"And thank you again for having me."

He looked around, remembering something. "Oh, but where are my manners... sit, sit, I apologize."

The president took his seat behind the desk again not without a somewhat stiff back, as Kotori went back to her rolling chair to his left. The two producers settled in to the leather seats across from the desk, Maya a bit hesitantly.

The president's office smelled like paper. Warmer than the rest of the office space, though just as cluttered as the rest of the lower floor. It was a quiet, whiskey-colored room with one small window; blinds covering the view to the alley and the persistent hum of a lowest-setting fan in the corner.

"Everyone says I'm a terrible rambler, you know. So! I won't keep you here too long. But I did want to cover a thing or two."

"I understand." She nodded and sat forward in her seat. Maya was getting thrown off pretty badly. The president swung so often and seamlessly between open levity and careful gravity that it was a bit hard to know how to respond – she settled on aiming for a kind of attentive politeness that she hadn't had to force since her intern days.

"First off," he began. Here was the swing again – his tone suddenly became serious, almost gruff as he leaned forward on his desk with hands clasped. "I know this won't be the easiest job to acclimate to. I have absolute confidence in you, but I do worry about the shift catching you off balance."

"That's not unreasonable," she set her eyebrows, "and I know it won't be an overnight thing. But I'm excited to get back to speed, and from what I've seen of your performers, I've been encouraged so far."

He smiled immediately, sitting up straight and making his chair squeak horribly. "Good! That's wonderful. They really are a great bunch, aren't they?"

She blinked once. "Yes. They're each... very distinctive. I will need to see more of them, but –"

"Of course. But, I can't imagine it'll be too much of an obstacle for you. As long as you see their spark." He tapped his forehead for emphasis.

Shigeru pursed his lips.

"So," the president continued, seeming very refreshed, "as I was saying, either way you will need a bit of guidance to get used to how things are done here, correct?"

"I expect that anywhere," she said. "You're right, I do have a lot of ground to cover before I'm fully on my feet."

He nodded deliberately again. "Ordinarily I'd want to have anyone new shadow Shigeru here for a bit, but I'll let you jump into things at your own pace. Just _pace_ yourself!" He leaned back in his chair, quietly proud of the terrible non-pun.

Kotori cut into the sudden silence, "We really are excited to see what you do with everyone, Miraflores-san."

The president nodded towards her. "Please treat them well! We're here to support you all the way. And – don't hesitate to ask any one of us for help."

"I – I understand." She let her back hit the seat again, taking whatever this pep talk was supposed to be in.

"You'll do great! Sorry, this old man can be a bit stuffy," Takagi said. "Please do rely on Otonashi-kun especially as you'd like. She has plenty of free time lately, ha ha!"

"I… I do have plenty of free time, lately…" she admitted a bit dispiritedly, smiling at the floor.

He jolted forward in the muted way of moving he had. "And you two haven't been properly introduced yet, yes? You'll be working together quite often. Otonashi-kun, you did her paperwork – you're just a few years apart in age, am I wrong?"

Kotori nodded, her cheeks visibly reddened. "W-we are, I believe! Though I _am_ a few years behind."

"Wonderful. I bet it'll help you to get to know each other better."

"I'm sure we'll have plenty of time for that, president," Shigeru said, "I was thinking of Taruki tonight."

"Good choice, as ever," he nodded. "Well! Again, I certainly won't keep you." He stood up, and the rest of the room followed suit, all of two minutes after sitting down in the first place. "We'll check in tomorrow. But go, go and make a night of it!"

"Well. Was that all?" Maya asked as the three walked up the stairs.

"Aha, he's just a bit nervous. Trying to impress you," Kotori confided, almost apologetically.

"Don't know if I'd call it that." Shigeru went on ahead of them, opening the door.

"Oh, he really is!" Kotori said, playfully. "He's so excited about it all. When was the last time things changed so much?"

"He's just planning things out," Shigeru insisted, pushing open the door to the fourth floor. "Making considerations."

"If you say so, if you say so…" Kotori allowed, with her eyes knowingly closed.

Shigeru turned back to Maya from inside, realizing they'd left her out as he went back to his computer. "Give me just one moment, Miraflores-san. Need to wrap one last thing up before I forget." He looked up over her shoulders, to the coatracks. "And Otonashi! You up for Taruki tonight?"

"I can't, sorry!" she said, fumbling with the racks next to Maya. "It's a Monday, remember?"

"Ah, that's right," he said, nodding. "No worries, we'll make plans soon."

"Yes! Just let me know!" She turned to Maya. "I'm so sorry – I do want to get out and all, but really do have to be home tonight. Can I schedule in a better time?"

She perked up, a bit surprised. "Oh! Sure, no worries at all."

"Great! I'll set something up. I'll put it on your calendar, alright?" She winked.

Maya relaxed a bit. "Sure. I'd love to."

"Mm!" Kotori beamed back. "Then, you two go have fun! Go talk about all your producer stuff!"

"Ahaha, I'll be sure to grill him a bit. Get home safe, then?"

"I will!" She finished pulling her coat on, and hurried to the door. "See you!"

Maya waved as the door closed.

She took a deep breath.

Shigeru clacked away at his laptop. She took a bit of time to just take the office in.

She, admittedly, was already feeling much more at ease here. Otonashi had been disarming, and offices at night were always so relaxing to her, for one reason or another – she never really figured out why that was. Something about the contrast of only ever seeing it when relaxing after a long day, or panicking overtime to finish things, made it into a kind of space that only existed when you needed it to.

The ceiling lights were bright on the waxy leaves of that one tall potted plant in the corner. The sound of the street was faint but there. She remembered the candy in her pocket and popped one open, turning it over in her mouth as she surveyed the place, and Shigeru remained bent over his computer at his desk, putting the finishing touches on something Maya wasn't going to snoop about.

"Well," Maya said, mouth half-full and drawing a blank as to conversation restarters. "Well..."

"Let's," Shigeru declared, closing his laptop, "get a drink."

* * *

 **Shigeru Ooyama**

The Taruki Restaurant was on the ground floor of the Namuko building – it was a small place, packed and well lived-in, and had been renting the space ever since the agency had been established here. It was naturally a favorite for most people working in the building, and the go-to place for after-work decompression.

"So," Shigeru said, already eating, "how did it go earlier, all told? I'm curious about your impressions."

She thought about that for a moment. Poked at her curry beef, not sitting up quite as straight as she would have liked to. "I meant it when I told the president. I'm encouraged."

"Did you get what you were looking for?"

"More or less!" she said, brushing it off, "I didn't get into anything too seriously, but I'm starting to understand the big picture. You – we have a good roster, you know."

This didn't quite lighten him up. "I'm sure Akizuki-kun expressed her concerns."

"Very strongly, haha..." she said, smiling sheepishly. "She's not wrong. But I am glad I heard it from her." She shifted her hands to her lap.

He cleared his throat. "She's a good kid. More responsible than me, sometimes."

"They all seem like good kids." She thought for a moment. "Everyone seems to be trying to prove something to themselves, by being here. That's a good start, I think."

"Oh? How do you mean?"

She waved dismissively. "Ah, as in, you can get talent or luck anywhere. But real motivation is harder to find. That's definitely worth more in the long run."

He considered her, shifting in his seat to face her a bit more. "I'm surprised you're so impressed, to be honest."

"Huh? Do you not have confidence in them?" she asked, half-teasing and half actually curious. "They all have a good base, even if the newer ones will need some work..."

"No, no, it's not about the girls themselves. It's... well..." He scratched his head.

"What, what?" she pushed, "Now I know I'm missing something."

"Well." He said, pausing to swallow. "You've met the president now."

"I have."

He took a breath, staring at his plate. "I've worked with him for a long time. A long time. He's a good man – good to anyone he deals with, and without him... I'd probably never have been anything more than a stagehand." He fidgeted slightly. "I know he can be... frivolous at times. But it's important to me that you know he's not just some old fool."

She took a long sip of her water, looking at him. "Alright. I can take that."

"So... with that in mind... you should probably know that for the past few years he's insisted on accepting anyone who applies."

She put her glass down. "Anyone?"

"Anyone." He scratched his head again, looking away. "He can be very stubborn, and won't budge on it."

"Wait, like... really, just anyone who applies?"

"Well, we do have a process and all. But yes – 'make it work!' he says." Shigeru mimicked the older man's voice for a second, along with a muted fist-shaking.

"Pffff..." she broke out, covering her mouth. "Ahaha... ahaha! Oh, man, that's... I don't even know where to start!" What was she doing here? What was even happening?

He didn't know how to react to that one. "I – I don't mean for that to be demoralizing, but..."

"No! No, no, don't even worry! That's just..." She sat back a bit, trying to put the pieces together. No wonder they were so understaffed; eight-to-one was just absurd. She gave up completely. "Never heard of that one before, is all. But alright. Let's work with it, then."

He stared at her a moment as she giggled slightly again, and took a drink.

She continued, now completely unbothered. "I mean, my main concern is the whole networking thing, more than anything at the agency itself..." She remembered something. "Oh! Speaking of that, I was meaning to ask you. Iori-chan mentioned something about the president and 'the other guy,' do you know who she meant?"

He raised his eyebrows, relieved that the subject was changing, even in this direction. "Ah... she didn't tell you?"

"No, not at all."

"She must like you, then. She practically beat me over the head with it when she started here, threatening to have me fired and everything." He chuckled into his mug. "I'm surprised you've taken to her so easily."

Maya made a little waving gesture, putting her elbow on the table. "Well, I can tell you she definitely does not _like_ me, for one. But seriously. What am I missing?"

"She's probably talking about her father," he said, a bit dismissively.

This meant nothing to her. She swirled her beer. "He some kind of big-shot?"

"Yes, but... you..." He looked back at her, somewhat confused. "Ah, you are foreign and everything, of course you wouldn't immediately..." He scratched his head. "The Minase Conglomerate, Tadahiro Minase. One of the top what, five companies in the country? He's the chairman, or CEO, or something of the sort I haven't bothered to remember. Essentially runs the whole thing."

"Ah." Of course she had recognized the _name_. But she wouldn't have assumed the first Honda she came across here would be heiress to the entire auto empire... "Well. That's a bit to take in." She took her first small sip of her drink.

Shigeru sighed, roughly. "Yeah. The guy's been friends with the president since their university days, helped put up some of the money to get Namuko going again in '06. Doesn't show his face much, though."

"You don't sound like you think much of him," she said, before finishing with a shrug to herself. "Well, neither did she, really. Iori _Minase_ , huh."

"I met him twice, back in the day. It told me everything I needed to know." He shook his head. "He's not exactly a people person, though he's a master at what he does."

Maya decided she'd leave it at that for now. Didn't want to start getting into ancient history too soon. "This is certainly making it clear that I have a lot to learn about everyone."

"It's a long process." He nodded.

She gazed out the small window into the still-unfamiliar night. There was a bit of awkward silence, and she quietly finished her drink.

She jerked up again, putting on a smile. "Ah, but I'm probably boring you only talking about work, haha? Let's see... do you have children, Ooyama-san?"

"One daughter," he nodded, "Aki."

She brightened, leaning forward on her elbows. "Ah, really? How old is she?"

"She's twenty-eight."

That was four years younger than Maya herself. She blinked once. "I see."

"I married young," he explained, a bit curtly. "And you?"

"Ah, no." She looked down at her plate again. "Not yet, at least."

"I see."

Gahhh. She winced to herself – just like her to bring up something apparently touchy to both of them. Drawing a yawning total blank on any subjects to talk about.

He cleared his throat. "I apologize again for being such a downer."

"N-no, I do too, haha! Sorry, sorry, just a bit nervous."

He finished the last of his drink in one gulp. "Miraflores-san."

"Y-yes?"

He clacked his glass back onto the table. "What made you choose this career? I've been curious about that, especially considering how long you've stuck to it."

She exhaled, relieved at the topic switch. "Well. Hm, how would I explain that? At first it was just being interested in music. When – aha, excuse me, it's a bit embarrassing – but when I was younger I got a bit caught up in the whole... stereotypical showbiz romance," she explained, trying to downplay it.

He snorted. "Really. Would not have expected that from you. What was it? Singer, actor?"

"Oh! Not for myself!" She waved frantically, amused at the idea. "I was never cut out for _that_. But a few of my friends were. They didn't get too far, but helping them out did net me some opportunities. I was so excited about all the work being done, things being made – though my first job took care of that pretty quick."

"How bad?"

"Oh, not _bad_... just disillusioning. But in the middle of it, it gave me all these new things to look forward to – finding out where interesting stuff was still being made, the... hope and dreams the performers came in with." She looked for the words. "A bit cheesy, but real. I wanted to support that. And it was a while before I was able to, but I was finally allowed to start scouting and... well, you know the story from there."

He pulled a small tin from his pocket and opened it, popping a mint into his mouth and biting hard. "Well, only the resume bits. What made you stay?"

She nodded, taking it more seriously. "The artistry of it all is important to me. I don't know how well you know him, but Souichi always talks about a similar idea..."

"Souichi?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Ah! Ta-Takeda-san I mean, haha..."

"Ah." He closed his eyes understandingly, and moved on. "Haven't spoken to him much since he went abroad, to be fair. So I'm not quite qualified."

"Figures." She rolled her eyes to herself – exactly what she'd expect from the guy, she could hear him laughing it all off somewhere in the distance. Anyway. "But – by 'artistry' I mean... vision? Like... treating this as both a job and as a _work_ ; figuring out what the performers I work with want to convey, and guiding them to make the best of it they can."

"I see. Then –"

Maya cut him off as if she hadn't heard him, putting down her glass and thinking a bit harder. "Like... Kayla has such a coolness and slowness to her, while Kaycie is this standoffish kind of playful, and figuring out how to get those two aspects to mesh well together, in a way that they'd both find fun and challenging at the same time... where it's expressed in song, and where in dance, and how to sell it as one package... That was really satisfying. Just seeing them go out and – ah!" She jerked back to reality, covering her mouth. "I'm rambling, aren't I!"

"Yes," he said, "but it's telling me alot."

She took a deep breath to herself. She was giving away too much. She collected herself, trying to get back to the smoothness she'd practiced. "And what about you? Mr. Senior Producer."

"As in why I'm here?"

She folded her hands. "Yes. What drew you, why the big shift? It seems like a strange jump, from what you told me."

He huffed a bit, furrowing his brow. Cigarette smell wafted over from another table. "Well. I started in dedicated theater, but eventually switched to more general backstage."

"Yes. You told me about that part."

"And you meet a lot of people." He crossed his arms, holding out a hand. "You know how it is. Everyone has their job, but has to have hands ready everywhere; you end up getting exposed to far more than your proper role. And as I worked my way up, I spent more and more time working with the people that went on stage, talking to them – a lot of them were repeats, we got close to some extent."

She nodded, looking up from the last bits of food on her plate. "That makes sense."

"So there was a girl."

"…Oh?"

He absentmindedly folded his napkin. "Yes. About… oh my, was it six years ago already? She was working at this agency, actually."

"Ah!" She sat back up fully again. "Yes, Miura-san mentioned that the president used to be in your role..."

"Mm. That's how I got acquainted."

"And, and?"

"She had something special. She really did." He looked at his plate. "You know, for a long time I looked down on the whole idol thing – knew a lot of them were like night and day on stage and off; a lot of it came off as fake. Especially in those years…"

"The whole decline period." She'd done her research.

"You're familiar," he allowed. "It wasn't an easy time to fit into, much less succeed in. But she taught me a lot – she had this whole... vision, suppose, like you said. This insistence…"

"And how did it go?" She sipped her water. His tone wasn't exactly the fond kind of nostalgic. "She retired, I assume."

"Ah, sometime, sometime," he brushed the question out of the air, continuing, "it's a long story. She did have to leave at a point, and after that I stepped in to help Takagi-san out. I wanted to give it a shot. Do better."

She slowly raised her eyebrows. "…Than he had?"

"No, no! Just… more than I had been doing. Just didn't feel right, being on the sidelines anymore."

She stayed quiet. He scratched his head, not sure how to wrap it up.

"Anyway! That's how I got here. His penchant for rambling must be rubbing off on me."

"Not at all. I'd like to learn what I can." She grinned at him, trying to diffuse the tension. "Sometime!"

He nodded. "Well. Now that that's settled," he said, moving on, "have we talked about tomorrow yet?

"Ah! Yes, yes, I still remember fine." Had it really only been a few hours since she had first gotten to the agency? Felt like the day had gone on forever. "Ritsuko-san's… special concert, right?"

"'Secret live,' she calls it. But yes. We'll head over at oh, around five?"

"Yes! Don't worry. I talked about it a bit with those four..." She finished her water, glancing at the edge of the table.

"It'll be fun," he leveled, suddenly a bit brighter. "Get you used to the everyday motions, you know."

* * *

 _March 10_ _th_ _, 5:30PM  
en route to Live House Kubooka_

Said motions appeared to be, so far: Ritsuko's skillful and continuous pacification of the double menace Maya was quickly realizing the twins composed, Shigeru's polished and surprisingly far-reaching communication and networking skills, and Iori's quite frankly impressive ability to complain about absolutely everything she encountered.

At the moment it was Maya. "Can you move over or something?" Iori demanded, squirming in her seat.

Maya could not move over or something.

As planned for day two, they had loaded all the trainees – Iori, Yayoi, the twins, and Yukiho – into Namuko's white minivan along with Shigeru and Ritsuko for one of Ritsuko's concerts. The van seated fifteen. Iori, expressing the urge but apparently not the nerve to fight Ritsuko for shotgun, had settled for promptly claiming the frontmost window seat behind her instead. Maya came in after that, hoping for the middle seat to more easily speak with Shigeru, and the twins had immediately crashed into her, determined to together take up the single spot left in the second row. This left Yayoi and Yukiho happily chatting together in the spacious third row, probably about tea, or puppies, or something, and Maya crammed in between three incredibly loud girls she had met yesterday, very much reconsidering her decision to move to the other side of the world for the opportunity.

"Ricchan, Ricchan, how far away is this place, anyway? Is it gonna take this long every time?" Mami said, clinging to the back of Shigeru's seat.

"Eh, nee-chan, move over, y'know?" Ami said, nudging Maya's side. "Mami's practically falling off."

"You move over, Ami!" Iori shot back, pushing Maya over even harder to make a point. "You're all still crushing me!"

Ritsuko turned back around from the passenger seat, breaking off her own conversation and raising her voice. "Alright. _Why_ couldn't one of you have just sat further back?"

"Fine, fine, I'll go back then. Jeeez," Mami grumbled as she undid her seatbelt to stand up, sparking another round of Ritsuko yelling at her in road safety lecture mode.

Oh my God.

It went like this for fifteen more minutes. Maya snuck an ibuprofen dry. And then they were finally pulling into the parking lot of the venue – a small, literally underground joint in a more crowded area, down the street a few blocks from a major station square.

She stepped out, raising her head. The sun was in the early setting stages, bright yellow through the building kinks of the alleyway. She stretched, reacclimating to the city smell, and took her bearings.

Networking was the first big thing, she thought to herself as they began unloading from the van behind her. Second big thing was navigation. High time to start memorizing maps.

She started, snapping her arms back down and getting her notebook ready as things began moving. A gruff, buzzcut man in suspenders had sauntered out of the employee exit, interrupting her train of thought with a short wave.

"Ah! Ooyama, you're here. This is the larger group you mentioned?"

Shigeru let Maya attempt to herd the group a bit – the twins wandering off already, Iori lingering in the car – as he answered. "Yes. A lot changing at the agency." He gestured to Maya. "Ah – and this is Miraflores-san, she's handling our newer recruits."

"Maya Miraflores. Good to meet you." She broke away and stepped forward, giving her best hurried smile as he immediately crushed her hand.

"Mitsuru Kanai, ops manager." He nodded at her as she struggled very hard to not show the wince on her face. He was quick to break it off, though, looking over her shoulder and lightening up. "Ah, and Ritsuko-chan's here as always."

"Have we ever been late?" she scolded gently. "Anyway, I brought my newer juniors along with me today. I'm hoping they can learn something today."

"Perfect, perfect," he beamed back at her on his concrete step, and then looked back to Shigeru. "Sure are racking them up. Takagi still being himself?"

Shigeru nodded. "Yes."

"Damn shame," Kanai exhaled, before turning to lead them all in. "Well, I'll let you all get into it. Good to have you again this month, I'll go get everyone in shape."

"Thank you," Shigeru said, as the agency's group was left by the open door.

Maya gave a low whistle as it got quiet again, peering into the dimmed hallways. "Phew. You know every place this well?"

"Well, you do meet a lot of people." Shigeru stood up a bit straighter, exhaling sharply. "But no, Akizuki-kun sings here every month. They've gotten to know us – and I've worked with Kanai before."

Maya nodded, but was distracted by something from over her shoulder. Ritsuko had lingered behind them, still talking to the rest of the girls clustered by the van. She leaned with one arm on the window of the van, pressed outfit thrown over her shoulder on its coathanger.

"Now, like I said, it's still on the table. I can still talk to stage staff and everything, if anyone's up for it."

Yukiho was shaking her head emphatically. "N-no, I could never… you – you'd need to give me more warning, Ritsuko-san! How could I prepare?"

"I mentioned it yesterday..." she said, a bit resigned. "I'm only asking for a final answer. It's just an option, and could help a little." She sighed, shifting to face someone else. "And Iori. Not even you?"

She shook her head, arms crossed tight around her rabbit. "No. I told you, remember? I'm going to debut on my _own_ stage." She tried to look stern but couldn't help a slight satisfied smirk seeping through.

"Yeah, what she said!" Mami added, nodding at Ritsuko vigorously.

"Iorin, you're so cool!" Ami said, rubbing up against Iori's shoulder and getting shrugged off immediately.

Ritsuko only sighed, giving up and starting to walk towards the doors again. "Your call... let's at least get inside though, alright?"

"Yes!"

The backstage was surprisingly quiet – a minimal crew today, nothing especially fancy in terms of setup. Smaller than Maya had been used to in a long time, but she hadn't been expecting anything else. It really was a tiny place – the entire sound crew just a couple of guys on laptops, a makeup station nestled behind a divider that looked like it had gotten stolen from a hospital, a little metal staircase in the corner leading right up to the light fixtures.

She wasn't really sure what she _had_ expected. It wasn't that it was better or worse than she'd imagined; only that she hadn't developed much of a picture of it. This one gig wasn't going to tell her everything, but it certainly would set the tone – for better or worse.

As the rest of the girls filed in behind her, oohing and aahing, she took her place next to Shigeru and took it all in.

"So here we are," Shigeru said, stopping in place to let her survey the area.

"Well. It's nostalgic." Reminded her of old high schools and community centers. She continued glancing around, standing a bit stiffly. "I'll let you get to work, then?"

"Sure, sure." He did one of those little shoulder rolls – a half-conscious, nervous kind of reflex. The low light hit his glasses in a completely different way than what she'd seen before. "Need anything to keep you busy? I'll be with Akizuki-san and Hagiwara-san – will your hands be full with the others?"

"Leave it to me! I know what I'm looking for tonight."

"Good. I'll leave you to it, then."

They nodded to each other, a bit awkwardly, and turned away – Shigeru almost running into Yukiho in the process.

"Ah! P-producer-san! Sorry, I was in your way all of a sudden…"

"No worries," he said, straightening out his suit. "Everything alright?"

"Yes, just… I guess I'm feeling a bit lost…" She looked straight at him, then to the floor, and then back. "Can we talk, if you don't you mind?"

"Sure. Here, let's find a spot over there."

Yukiho gave a short wave back to her as she followed Shigeru off closer to the stage. And with that, Maya was finally unmoored.

Everyone else was already busy. The remaining girls were all crowded around Ritsuko, who at this point had made her way to the makeup station after changing – the twins seemed especially curious about the whole production, with Yayoi having to bat their hands away from the in-progress Ritsuko. Iori especially seemed to be… strangely personable about it all.

She eavesdropped. "Ah, so you're the new girls, huh?" one of the stylists asked, clacking her lash curlers as punctuation. "Yeah, yeah, heard that mentioned a while back."

"Yes, that's right! I'm Iori Minase, and I'll be debuting in just a few days! It's sooo nice to make your acquaintance, I hope we'll work together someday!"

"Ahaha!" she laughed back, charmed. "Isn't that great, huh? Well, do your best, I'm sure you'll do just fine!"

"Thank you so much!" she beamed, eyes completely shut. "I really admire all the work you do, every day!"

Maya just stared and went back to her phone.

The stylists were mobbed with another round of questions from the four right after they finished with Ritsuko a few minutes later – Maya noticed her as she was already walking towards her, waving her over quietly.

She looked up from her phone. "Welcome back. You look great."

She smiled, adjusting her glasses. "Heh, you think? Hey, walk with me quick," Ritsuko said, gesturing to the wings.

She was all decked out in stage outfit at this point – a simple, green-and-white deal with fluffy shoulders and a smattering of rhinestones on some of the seams. She'd traded her usual perfectly measured shrimp braids for a high ponytail, accentuated by new cherry-red glasses to match the shoes.

"Are those real ones?" Maya asked, tilting her head.

"I have eight pairs," she said, and crossed her arms. "You have to be ready for any and all outfits. Glasses are tricky." She tapped the rim for emphasis.

"Good move. Well. Are you all ready now? What do you need?"

"Oh, I still have a few minutes. I just wanted to talk."

They made their way to just before the stage – close enough to see it well, but far enough to not get in the way. The crowd murmured in the dimmed lights. They looked out together.

"Is this most of what you do?" Maya asked.

"Kind of, haha," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah. Azusa's all about the TV, CM side of things now, but I still feel most at home down here."

"Why? What about it makes it right for you?"

"Oh, it's just…" She faltered slightly, looking down and fidgeting in her costume before looking back again. "I mean, it's not like I avoid other stuff... I want to do well anywhere I go. But there's nothing quite like it, you know? When you're really _there_ , live."

"Hm." She smiled a bit wistfully as she looked out onto the still-dark stage. When was the last time she'd been out in the field with Kay Kay, somewhere like this? It was always a climbing sort of thing, she supposed – drifting further away from the stage herself as she'd gradually won more responsibility. She snapped back – "Then I'll look forward to seeing it."

"Thanks, Miraflores-san." Ritsuko smiled back, face framed by the dim lights of backstage. "I'll be giving you a show too, then!" A call from further in startled her for a moment, "Ah! It's almost time! I'll see you when I'm back!"

Maya nodded as the girl pivoted and shortly jogged over to Shigeru, who was waiting just slightly closer to the stage with Yukiho.

"Just like we discussed, then?" He looked her up and down, meeting her eyes to confirm. "You're all ready?"

"Jeez, you still fuss so much... I'm totally good for it!" She shook her head. "Of course I'm prepared, this is all routine."

"Good." He stiffy patted her on the shoulder, once. "Then go do your best." The lights in the audience began to dim behind them.

Ritsuko nodded, smiling knowingly back up at him. "Mm. I will." She gave them all one last wave, turned, and unceremoniously skipped onto stage.

"Hiii, everybody!"

Maya was an idiot.

She had done her research. At least she thought she had. She had watched concerts on tape, studied up on the industry as well as one could from outside of it, familiarized herself with the general trends and audience demands. But it wasn't until then – that exact moment, in person – that she truly understood the difference between singer and _idol_.

The crowd and venue was small. It couldn't have been more than a few hundred people, if that, all crowded onto one floor with the seats torn out. Some out-of-the-way joint, for a completely mundane show. But they responded in one, overwhelming voice.

 _"_ _Ritsukooo!"_

As soon as the modest spotlight glare had hit her, she was on. A total change in the way she carried herself came over her as she turned and waved from center stage, without even blinking. "Wow, aren't you all energetic? Has everyone been doing their best at work this past month? Studying hard?" She threw a teasing sort of grin out into the standing crowd.

 _"_ _Yes ma'am!"_

"Yay! So good to hear," she smiled, clapping her hands together. "Now, once again – welcome to this month's secret live! Happy March, and thanks for coming!"

The crowd raised its pitch even higher as the opening notes to _Ippai Ippai_ began coming over the speakers. Maya could only watch for a while, at a bit of a loss for words – Ritsuko was good. She was really good, more _energy_ than skill. It took her half the song to notice Yayoi pulling on her sleeve as she and Ami had come over to watch, too.

"It's really bright, huh?" Yayoi said, just above a whisper.

She mustered all her attention back, turning from where she was leaning on the exposed concrete wall. "Mm. Is this your first time back here?"

"First time ever seeing it!" Yayoi said. "In real life, I mean…"

Ami looked up at her, "Nee-chan. Ricchan's pretty amazing, right?"

"Yeah, I'd say so too."

Ami nodded, and set her eyes back to the stage. "You know, every time I see her like this, y'know how it feels?"

"Hm? I'm curious."

"Feels like magic," she said. "Like, I can barely believe it's her sometimes! It pulls you right in."

"Yeah…" Yayoi added, helpfully.

Ami looked up at Maya again. "So is it really that fun? As she makes it look?"

"Do you think it would be?"

"I mean, yeah! Of course I do! But…" She couldn't really help but looking away again - her gaze was just drawn back. "Can we really do something that great?"

"Let's see for ourselves, huh?" She raised her eyebrows and couldn't help a small smile. "But as long as you stay excited, I can't imagine why not. That's what matters."

"Yeah, Ami!" Yayoi said, paying attention again. "As long as we try, it'll definitely be worth it!"

Maya let the two cheer each other on from the sidelines.

It _was_ a bit like magic.

 _More and more and more and more and  
Let's all raise our voice again! Yeah  
More and more and more and more and  
Yours is all I wanna hear! I  
Mean it, mean it, mean it, mean it  
More now than ever again – I  
Really, really, really, really  
Think that I'm in love again!_

 _There's just one more thing I  
Should ask you before –  
So tell me, my glasses, do  
I keep them or no?_

* * *

She found Iori several minutes later, sitting on a crate further back from the stage. She'd been watching from a distance. The girl noticed her, glancing up once and looking away again.

"What's up?"

"Nothing," Iori said, begrudgingly allowing conversation. "I've just seen her on stage before, you know."

"Well, so have the twins…"

"Yes, but they're impressed by _anything_."

She shifted her weight to the other foot. "What's the matter, then? Do you not want to be here?"

"No! It's not that! It's just... oh, I don't know!" She glared upwards. "Shouldn't you be up there with the others?"

"Shouldn't you?" She smoothed her skirt and sat down just next to her. "Everyone else is up closer, so why not?"

Iori shifted, turning slightly away. "I just told you. I've... seen it before."

"Hm." They sat together and watched. They were most of the set into it already; just past Ritsuko's signature _Mahou wo Kakete_. She'd started in on a short talk segment – some vague mentions of what was happening at home, and a bit of excitement at the coming changes at her agency. The twins giddily grabbed at Shigeru's sleeves at the mention of themselves, though he stayed unmoved.

This was her core fanbase, Maya realized. A lot of the audience had probably been here month after month, right on time – she'd have to ask Azusa about what the deal with the various fanclubs was. A lot to learn, still.

Iori looked upset, cheeks planted firmly in her hands. Had to break tension.

Maya leaned back on her palms, re-crossing her legs. "By the way, what was that all about? Back there, at the makeup station."

"What was what?" Iori turned her nose up a degree or two, tapping her heel against the plastic of the crate. "I don't know what you're referring to."

"Well. You seemed a _liiittle_ bit different from when I first got a chance to speak with you, you know."

She raised her eyebrows, unbothered and aloof. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

She took a short, inaudible sigh. "Nothing, nothing. It was just very... _professional_ of you," she said, phrasing it quite diplomatically.

"Right?" Iori brightened a bit, despite herself. "You have to make a good first impression," she declared, shooting a quick glare at Maya. "You should learn that."

"So I wasn't that impressive then, haha..."

"I just... _you_ just need to get real about this already!" she insisted, meeting eyes. "Show me you can do that, and we'll get along fine." Iori was already sitting up straighter then she had been, eyes more focused.

Maya softened her shoulders. "Alright. I hear you," she said. "I will. Can you lend me just a bit more patience for that, then?"

"…Sure. I don't have much choice, huh?"

More commotion. Last round of cheers, as the lights began to brighten again. From the opposite side of the wide room they heard Ritsuko come back in at last, still breathing hard and in a cooldown sweat – but she was standing up straight and smiling.

"Hey. Let's go head over with the others, alright?" Maya said, gesturing to the group that was starting to form around Ritsuko. Shigeru was already fussing over her as she ignored the twins bombarding her with questions, still catching her breath.

"Sure." Iori stood up and smoothed out her dress, nodding towards the group. "I hope you were paying enough attention while we were here."

"Ah! Maya-san!" Yayoi called on cue, running over. "That was so amazing, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," she said, more to Ritsuko as she stepped forward. "That was definitely impressive. Thank you for dragging me along, and good work."

"Heh heh..." Ritsuko teased, catching her breath, "Was that enough of a practical demonstration for you? It's nothing, it's nothing!"

"I'll take it."

Ritsuko beamed back before being swept up into the wrap-up routines with Shigeru, undoing her hair in one motion as the twins began to crowd up next to her once again.

"So you see now, right?" Iori piped up from beside Maya, Yayoi next to her. "You see why we're all so excited now?"

"Mm!" Yayoi joined in. "I – we really wanna get to this kind of place too! So –"

Iori interrupted, pushing forward and glaring right at Maya. "So you better start getting us work right away! And _real_ work, too! Alright?"

Maya's ears were still buzzing. The back doors were open again as the busier members of the crew began to head out to smoke and stretch, and a small burst of the night air was beginning to filter in – the breeze caught Iori's hair but she ignored it, and simply looked back at her. Eyes hard but wavering.

"Yeah. I understand." She held her hand out. "That means we're all ready for it, then?"

"Um." Iori flushed slightly, not really sure what to make of that. But she returned the handshake anyway, as hard as she could, to make up for her hesitancy. "S-sure. It's a deal."

"Then I'm looking forward to working with you." She nodded, as winningly as she could.

"Me too, Maya-san!" Yayoi jumped back in, self-seriously going for her own, extremely vigorous handshake. "Let's do it!"

Maya knew, rationally, that it was still so early. But she felt her first plans beginning to form in the back of her mind, despite herself – yeah. It _was_ time to get real.


	4. Rhinestone

_Mar 20, 2:45PM  
_ _Rari TV Broadcasting Center_

"I told you to stop walking so fast! What's wrong with you?" Iori hissed as quietly as she could in the open lobby, reaching out to pull at the hem of Maya's blazer. She'd come straight from school, and they had barely had the time to get changed at the office and dart over to the TV studio before the audition started. Iori adjusted her dress surreptitiously – that blue-white one with the forest scene on the hem that she liked so much – and had been generally jittery the whole way here.

Maya clutched her bag to her side, still walking briskly but looking back. She'd been so distracted by trying to keep to the schedule that she only registered confusion. "What? Iori, we need to hurry."

"Yes, but you're practically jogging!" she said, glaring upwards. "Why are you so tall?"

How would one go about explaining why they were tall? "I... I don't know?"

She shook her head. "It's gross," she said, finally catching up fully and walking a few steps ahead. "And you're dropping honorifics again."

Maya glanced at her phone, fidgeting. The casual insults had already stopped affecting her, for the most part. "Sorry, sorry. Regardless, we have to get to the tenth floor, suite C – we're already late."

Iori spun around again, baffled. "We're like ten minutes early!"

"Which is late!" she shot back, putting on her stern voice. "Twenty minutes early is on time, I told you."

She frowned, still looking back. "What difference does it make, as long as we get there before it starts? I'm not going to let you make me wait around _that_ long for every little audition we go to." She turned away again, closing her eyes pointedly. "Wasting my time, honestly..."

Maya sighed. She tried to argue the point for what seemed like the fifth time that day, gesturing futilely. "It's not about that. It's about being able to recover if something delays us, scoping out competition, introducing ourselves... Making a first impression, remember."

"I," Iori said, reaching the elevator banks and hitting the call button before Maya could, "am already all the first impression they need. But fine. If it's so important to you, it has to be your responsibility to make sure it happens, right?"

It was like pulling teeth. "And who – who was the one who kept us at the office for all that time looking for her bag?"

"Like I _said_ , Makoto was the one who misplaced it. And you weren't even helping!" she responded, struggling to keep herself composed. "How is that _my_ fault?"

Maya gave up, and felt her teeth grit, "You're right. You're right. I'll do better on that next time. But we _will_ be on time in the future."

The elevator dinged politely. "Fine," Iori said, eyes closed and nose upturned as she stepped in. "It's your funeral."

Maya followed, already exhausted, and took her place at the back wall. The mechanism whirred, and Iori stood directly in front of the doors, ignoring her.

"Anyway. Are we all ready for this?" Maya asked, slightly exasperated, opening her folder and glancing through the notes one last time.

"Would you cheer up already?" Iori replied, having caught the tone and still staring ahead. "Stop _trying_ to ruin the day."

Maya paused, glancing up at her – she had been thinking nearly the same thing, in the opposite direction. She gave, a bit bashfully. Maybe she _was_ being too dismissive.

"Alright... I'm sorry for that, if I've been nagging you. Thank you for letting me know."

"Good!" Iori perked up immediately, standing straighter and looking back satisfiedly. "You're learning well already. Just listen to me and stop trying to think for yourself, and this'll all go perfectly!"

Maya's eyes died a little.

The elevator doors opened and she stepped out with a spring in her step. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Iori called, smiling in Maya's face as she lagged behind. "We're late!"

A half-minute broody/gloating walk and they were at a dead stop in front of the suite doors. The place was nondescript, really – yet another repurposed office space among many. Maya still couldn't help but be surprised at how similar the whole corporate spheres were, wherever you went – regional differences and varying levels of formality never managed to fully cover up the purpose-built nature of all these places. It was nice, when one was used to it, to have a kind of shared language.

"So this is it?" Iori asked. Maya craned her neck to double check the room number and nodded.

"Yeah. Here we are." Maya collected herself for a moment to get ready to enter – making sure her bun was still neat, stiffening her posture – and Iori ignored her and strode directly in herself.

Every eye in the room was immediately on them – they _were_ later than most, it turned out. They – close to twenty girls in the waiting room, with the occasional suit mixed in – looked away a moment later and went back to their preparations unbothered, as Maya scooted Iori into one of the few open spaces left in the corner of the room.

"So. This is the competition," she said, scanning the room as she sat down.

"Seems like it. Now, uh… they should be organizing things pretty soon..." Maya was already fumbling with her papers again, not as put together as she would have preferred. Really, this should have been such a small thing, she was letting herself get far too scattered at minor slips in her plans.

Iori was staying cool, so far. Arms crossed, eyes darting. She settled into her chair, and leaned over to Maya without making eye contact.

"So – so what are we doing?" Iori asked. "Precisely, I mean."

"Just an interview." She closed her folder, shuffling it back into her bag. "They'll ask you a few things, a short song demonstration – we should have three people getting picked in the end."

"So I won't be the only one when I win?"

"Uh… no, but we knew that going in. We do have to start somewhere."

"Hmm..." Iori looked around the room, still trying to get a handle on all the other contestants without really knowing what she was looking for. Slight frown.

A coordinator stepped in a few minutes later, and explained how things would be going: they'd all be called to the interview panel in threes. He accordingly called the first three up, and it was fifteen minutes before Maya saw them heading back out of the room again; this made the worst-case scenario only an hour and a half of waiting. She hoped they wouldn't have to start pushing that envelope, as one learned very quickly that Iori Minase was not the most patient person in the world.

Group two was called. Iori sent Maya back out to the elevators to grab a vending machine can of pure orange juice (another thing one learned quickly) – "I'm thirsty. What? No, I'm not _touching_ your water bottle. Now go already." – Maya got lost for a minute and said it was a phone call, and came back to the third group being called.

She settled back in, just in time for Iori to start getting actually irritated. "Are they really going to call me last?" She cracked open her drink with a sharp wrist flick. "Ugh, why did we even come here if they're too amateurish to pick people out correctly? You need to pick places that actually know what they're doing."

She crossed her legs, checking her emails. "Best for last, Iori-chan."

"That's – hm. Well I suppose you're right." She hadn't really expected that to work – but Iori squirmed in her seat a moment and seemed to accept it. "Get a better picture and everything... that might be it..." She sipped her juice.

And then, finally, it was the last group. They looked up expectantly along with the other two girls left, as the staff member called the last three and apologized for the wait

"Aah, terribly sorry about that, guys. We should be ready for you in about a minute – would you like to come in and wait?"

The three girls left answered yes and stood up, Iori shooting up immediately. "Finally! Maya, I'll be right back, okay? Wait right there!"

"Of course," she said. Where else would she be going. "You got this – you know that, right?"

"Hm! Obviously! So just be patient a sec, alright?" She waved, skipping off to where the other two girls had already gathered by the doors. "Seeya!"

And then the room was basically empty.

She took the opportunity to stretch, cracked her neck and then broke out her planner. This was always such an elaborate juggling act of schedule timing and on-your-feet reaction time, and she had to take any opportunity she had to revise her idea of things.

Iori was the type that needed an early win – that much Maya knew for certain about her. She bet they had pretty good chances for this audition, but regardless the little late-morning talent show wouldn't be aired for another few weeks… she'd have to talk to Ooyama about starting to find some entry-level live performance opportunities, no matter how small the venue. That would be important. Thinking about it more seriously, ahead of even the new country to get used to, the main struggle for her was how she suddenly had a tenth of the financial resources she was used to being able to play with. She would have preferred the big splash debut method, but for now it looked like they were going to have to work their way up and build attention more slowly, and with less flexibility besides. Iori was the best foot to start with, of the four she was assigned to – again, a volatile girl, but hopefully the experience would begin tempering her confidence. She did have a few things in the works for Yayoi and the twins, and Ooyama had been surprisingly on the ball about arranging their first few songs, so the main thing there was to ease them into things more carefully.

She sat up again after a few more minutes and a few more emails, and allowed herself to take a breath – things seemed sorted, for the time being. She leaned back in her chair, and looked around again.

The only person left in the room with her, this late in the process, was the guy who had come in with one of the other last girls. A tall, scraggly man with long hair and a broad headband; a style that made him look very unaccustomed to suits even though he wore his well, if open. He kept to himself by the window, somewhere between listless and grave, and Maya couldn't help but stare for a moment.

He shifted, computer open on his crossed legs, and she happened to catch a glimpse of his lapel pin. It was a stylized galaxy-shaped logo, one that even she recognized immediately – the trademark of Cosmo Productions.

Uh. Wasn't that big? Wasn't that _really_ big? That was the agency handling Cosmic20, one of the main fixtures in the entire entertainment industry, and certainly one of the biggest idol groups currently operating… you couldn't escape knowledge of them if you tried. And while she wasn't all that familiar with them outside of Twenty, it was more than a bit strange to see that kind of company at such a relatively low-level gig like this. What was she missing?

He finally caught her staring, and half-glared at her a second before nodding cordially, and turning back to his work.

What was a guy like this doing here?

* * *

"So what's someone like you doing here?"

Whatever the delay was continued – the already-distracted staff guys had excused themselves for a few minutes on some last-minute chore before the actual interviewers came back, and one girl in their group had taken the opportunity to run off to take a phone call or something. The girl who was left had immediately gone completely casual, precariously balancing her chair on its two back legs and suddenly seeming in the mood for conversation. None of this was encouraging.

She was just below Iori's height, and the same age – dressed much more casually, a standard but high-end t-shirt and shorts combo with some surprisingly fresh sneakers, with her bleached hair worn in two long, low twintails. Two minutes ago with more people in the room she had been all winning and polite, and it wasn't as if she'd suddenly gotten mean or anything... but her face had changed.

Iori played it safe. "S-someone like me? What do you mean by that?"

The girl turned to face her, throwing one arm across her chair back. "Minase, right? Like _Minase_ Minase, I know already. Feel like you should be somewhere bigger?"

"Ehe... well, the truth is that this is my first real job, actually..." she replied, wincing a bit and remaining polite. "I started very recently!"

She clunked back down again. "Hey, mine too! That's a pretty cool coincidence."

"I… I see. Good to meet you, then!" Iori was still wary, and she tried to shoot back with her own bit of not-exactly-secret info. "You're from... Cosmo, right?"

She wasn't phased, seeming proud if anything at the recognition. "Mm! Tried out for Twenty like everyone does, but the president said I'd do better solo. Can you believe that?"

"Oh." She let her eyes narrow slightly. "So you didn't make it, then?"

"Yeah." The other girl thought for a moment. "Oh, but it was, like, a balance thing. I was definitely good enough!"

"I see!"

"What, don't believe me?" She broke into something of a challenging smile again, turning to face her. "Miss Minase."

"Yes, yes, of course I do," Iori said, sitting up straighter and getting hit by her first bit of annoyance. "And it's just Iori-chan, alright?"

She hesitated for a moment, not sure whether to take that as rude or not, but eventually smiled wide. "Fine then. I'm Urara. Tennouji."

"I knew that already. They called both our names, you know?" she said. Maybe more harshly than she meant, actually, so she overcorrected her way back into nicety. "But... it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Urara nodded. "Hehee… so what's your deal though, Iori-chan? You got this one all lined up?"

"Well, _obviously_ I'm going to get the job," she said with a small, pleased shrug. "I'm going to be a pretty big deal soon enough, you know?"

"Yeah, of course you'd have a good setup and all." She grinned. "Aah, must be nice! My president won't really flex too much muscle with me yet, but I'll get there too eventually."

"Hm? What does that mean?" Iori looked at her straight, not really sure how to react.

She shrugged. "Oh you know, the normal stuff. He's not gonna start _guaranteeing_ jobs for me for a while. Man, I wasn't expecting it to be this much work without it."

"Hmm… well I guess that can't be helped, then?" She paused a moment, looking at her nails. She didn't quite get it.

"Yeah. The guys who run little things like this are pretty easy to buy off, so it's kind of silly not to, I think?" she said, tilting her head. "But whatever. It still won't be that hard on my own or anything."

"What?"

Urara paused, confused. "...What?"

Iori was agape. "You – you just _do_ that?"

"Well… well, yeah." She frowned. "Isn't that what _you_ were talking about? With your family and all."

"No!" Iori stiffened. "What would've happened if you did that here and made me lose? You can't just get in peoples' way like that!"

She crossed her arms, leaning forward with a still-incredulous glare. "Getting in your way?"

"Yes." She blinked. "Something like this should be no problem for me, so people like you _getting in the way_ is the only thing I have to worry about."

Her face stayed straight, still trying to figure out how to react. "You're pretty cocky there, huh?"

"And you aren't?" She turned away, suddenly interested in the windows. "Hmph. I can't believe I was going to try and be friends here!"

"Well." This time it was finally Urara being the one getting huffy. "At least _my_ parents are supporting me. Obviously yours aren't – wouldn't they be doing more to help?"

"He totally is supporting me!" she looked back, defensive. "He even got me my job at the agency, so that's how much you know! "

She cracked a victorious grin, all her annoyance falling away. "Ha! Knew it, see! How is that even different?"

Oh come on! "That's not the same thing at all!"

"Whatever you say," she said, smiling and shrugging openly. "Alright, I won't hold this outburst against you, seeing as you're so new and all. But this is how things work, you know?"

"That's – that's –"

She didn't get to finish her indignant stammering, as right then the door opened on them. The third girl finally walked back in, looking a bit lost.

"Hey, welcome back!" Urara called, beaming.

"Ah, th-thank you," she said, finding her own chair.

"You should get used to it," Urara said under her breath back to Iori, as the other girl sat down and the interviewers finally came back in behind her. "And get a bigger agency, huh? Can't even remember the name of yours."

"Right then," one of the guys said, "So sorry again for all that. Anyway, now that we're all here…"

Iori bristled, but there was no space left to argue. Urara was immediately back to normal, cheerily chatting with the staff – Iori straightened her neck again and put her smile back on.

* * *

"Ah! Iori-chan!"

"Iorin's back!"

Yayoi and the twins perked up from the table, Mami popping an earbud out and running over right away. Maya closed the door behind them, exhaling.

"Nee-chan, did you guys win?" Mami demanded.

Ami stood up at the table, in turn. "Yeah, what happened, what happened!"

Iori imperiously sat down with the group. "Hmhm! It was no problem at all! No one there was quite on my level, you know. We completely breezed through it!"

"That's so cool!" Mami exclaimed, squeezing back in next to her.

"Yeah, yeah. You'll be on TV already!" Ami continued.

She waved it off. "Ha, it's nothing, it's nothing! The results should be in soon, but that's all a formality, you know?"

Kotori and Makoto had broken out of their conversation by the desks at the commotion, and they waved over while Maya was distracted.

"Oh! Miraflores-san," Kotori said, "now that you're here! I got you the contact forms you asked for, as well as the rest of the Rari paperwork. Anything else for next time you're back?"

"Ah, thank you!" She took the small packet of papers Kotori held out with some surprise. "I'll get started as soon as I can. And no, nothing much – it's just, did Ooyama-san get back with the new songs yet?"

"Oh, he did. A while ago, in fact!" She gestured to the table that Iori's group was clustered at, and Maya realized that Yayoi and the twins had already begun to get used to theirs. "I'll leave you to get into it."

She grinned. Finally! This was going to be their first real turning point. "Ah, that's what I was hoping. Thank you so much, Otonashi-san!"

"It's my job, it's my job!" she said, nodding seriously. "He also said that you'd still be on for after work, is that right?"

"So you can make it this time. Great," she said. She would have said more, but Makoto had already stood up.

"Oh, so this was all about the new songs, huh?" Makoto asked, figuring out what was going on. "I'd love to see too!" Maya walked over with her, waving to Kotori one more time as she smiled and headed back to her desk.

The place really was small – not even half of everyone was here currently, and they were still on the edge of bumping elbows. There was the third floor, sure, but that was all either storage or the single bare meeting room, so there wasn't much space here for plain hanging out in downtime. But it worked, to be sure. In the meantime Maya took a seat next to Yayoi as Makoto settled in on the opposite side, leaning over the seat back.

"Maya-san! Welcome back! So, right now we've been going through the songs and stuff – did you get to hear them?" Yayoi smiled blindingly at her and she tried to return an approximation.

Maya continued to fuss with her bag."I did! How's it been going? Have you liked them?"

"They're amazing!" Yayoi said, and caught Iori staring from the edge of her seat. "Ah, but Iori-chan, I didn't give you yours yet huh?"

"No!" She sat up hesitantly. "C-can I see it yet?"

"Of course! Here's yours, and the words."

Iori grabbed the jewel case and thin stack of papers Yayoi held out, eager to look them over but turning the pages gingerly. "And – and you guys all already got yours?"

"Yes," Maya broke in. "Ooyama-san should have brought them over pretty recently, right?"

"Mhm! And he went out again to go pick up Yukiho-san right before you came." Yayoi nodded, holding up her own lyrics sheet which had already begun to accumulate some annotations. "So we're all just trying to rememorize them now."

Ami craned her neck over. "Iorin, what's yours called?"

"Oh! Um..." she scanned the page, trying to keep up. " _Watashi wa Idol_?"

"Well yeah, but what's the title?" Mami asked, leaning in from the opposite side.

She frowned absentmindedly. "No, I mean that _is_ the title! Of course I… hm..." she trailed off, getting deeper into the lyrics.

Makoto leaned over the back of the couch, reading over Iori's shoulder. "That seems like a pretty plain one, huh?"

"What's your problem?" Iori said, jolting at how close she'd gotten. "It's a normal, sensible title, alright? Now let me read."

"No, no, I didn't mean to judge!" Makoto stammered, unusually placating. "Yukiho's first one was like that, too..."

"Oh yeah," Maya said, butting in, "Hagiwara-san got hers as well today, no?"

Makoto stood up again, as Iori turned away and jammed her earbud back in. "Ah, yeah! _First Stage_ , its called, see? So yeah it's simple – but it's a good song."

"Oh, by the way," Yayoi said, taking a moment to dig around in her overalls pocket. "There's no words with them yet, but I have them all on here! Here, Iori-chan! I wanna hear yours too!"

"If you want to so badly, then fine..." Iori said, taking the MP3 player Yayoi offered and one earbud. She began to listen, following along with the lyrics and making her first attempts at mouthing out the words to the tune. She was so quiet that the twins's attention span ran out, Mami getting up and running behind the divider to talk to Ami without Iori between them.

"So. We made it back just in time, seems like," Maya said. "These each are your first image songs. Our real, debut singles – how do they sound?"

Yayoi answered first, very strongly. "I wanna show you!"

"Oh! I've heard them before they got here! Don't worry –"

"No, no, Maya-san. Like, I wanna sing this so you can see!" She looked down at the paper, then up again. "' _Kiramekirari_ …' It's... it's great? It's really really good. I wonder if I can even do this right…"

"Haha! Thank Ooyama-san for that. He's the one who organized them, I'm just glad I apparently picked the right one out for you!"

"Mm! You really did!" She nodded, trying to have a proper conversation and face her, but unable to keep her gaze from drifting back to the page. "I mean... I liked them all, really? I wanna try Ami's song too, but... anyway, I still really wanna do this one as mine!"

Iori was still mostly engrossed in her first listen, but Maya noticed the twins had fallen quiet.

"And Ami? Mami? What do you guys think?"

"I mean..." Ami said, fiddling with the case as she looked down.

"We do like them, nee-chan!" Mami added, almost apologetically. "But, like… which one's which?"

"Well, we first thought _Positive_ would go to Ami, and _Start Star_ to Mami. Do you guys want to switch that up?"

"No, no, it's not that," Mami said.

"It's like. We've never really learned things by ourselves before, right?" Ami said, taking the initiative but suddenly unsure of herself. "So I dunno what to do with a song that I haveta do _alone_."

Mami leaned harder on the divider, fidgeting. "Yeah, we like... we always sat next to each other, and we do homework together and stuff, and before now we always had the same songs?"

Ami narrowed her eyes. "Not _many_ songs, though, huh."

"Mm, mm," Mami agreed.

Ami turned up towards her sister for once. "Hey. Can we do both together?"

"But that's double the work!"

"But it'll be _double_ double the work if I try to do it on my own!" she pouted.

"Half double double you mean," Mami pointed out helpfully.

"Well, whatever!" Ami said, frazzled at the funny logic of the exchange. "A lot of work, anyway!"

Mami made a show of thinking. "Hmmm... that's really hard… are we even allowed to?"

"Well," Maya said, "knowing both can't hurt, really. You guys will all technically be going solo, but jobs where more than one of you are on stage won't be rare."

"Really? Like when?"

"Well, there's a lot of possibilities. If we want two, three, four people on stage at once - or being a backup dancer for Miura-san or something… it's a basic idea, but it'll definitely come up."

"So we should be learning Ricchan's songs and stuff too?" Ami asked, frowning.

"Focus on your own first! There'll be warning for it. But it might come in handy," she smiled. "And with that said… we have lessons soon, right? Do we want to use that time to run through these?"

Yayoi practically bounced in her seat. "Yeah! I'm all ready!"

"As long as we're punctual this time," Iori sighed. The song had finished, and she sat up a bit straighter as she handed the player to Yayoi again.

Makoto smiled obliviously in the spot of silence before catching on. "H-hey! Was that at me?"

"Hm. Who knows?" Iori turned away, which was something of an ineffective gesture against someone standing directly behind you.

"Oh come on! You were in such of a rush that I didn't get to apologize, that's not fair…"

"Oh, so you were going to apologize?"

"Of course!"

"Since when have you bothered?"

Yayoi was watching their escalation with escalating worry, seemingly any second away from trying to break it up. Maya wasn't sure herself where to get a word in edgewise.

"Yeah, but!" Makoto said, throwing her hands up but then calming all the way back down to frowning bashfulness. "Listen, Iori. I know this is a really important time for you, now that you're starting out for real and all... so I'm sorry that I got in the way of your work. My fault, alright?"

Iori took that in for a moment, as if she'd just run off a cliff. "Well… well okay. Thank you."

Makoto smiled sheepishly again, but Mami beat her to the punch. "My my, are they getting along now?"

"It's so sweet, isn't it?" Ami teased, scooting closer to Iori on the couch.

"Will – will you two shut up!" she burst out perfectly on cue, and then there was no sense in trying to pull it back; the conversation was off the rails for good.

* * *

Iori had been ready to go five minutes ago – that'd show a _certain_ somebody who could be on time or not. She stood leaning on the wall at the bottom of the stairwell, watching the cars pass outside from the small window, and was quickly discovering that it was pretty hard to retain your smugness while waiting all by yourself.

The top door creaked open, and by the sound of it there was only one person. She listened to Maya tramp down the stairs and sigh, and as she finally came to the ground floor Iori refused to acknowledge her presence.

"So where's everyone else?" she asked.

"Ah, they're mostly just dawdling," Maya said, a tiny, tiny bit out of breath. "The twins are talking to Makoto-chan about something, but they'll be down soon."

 _Then_ she looked up to her, unamused. "Go tell them to hurry up, then! Now see who's holding us up?"

Maya apparently completely ignored that. "Here – have you been holding that the entire time?" She nodded at Iori's duffel bag. "Want me to carry it?"

"Fine." She shifted it off her shoulder and Maya hefted it onto her own – what was she carrying around in here?

Iori seemed a bit placated, and they continued waiting. Maya quietly fidgeted, in the muffled sounds of the street.

Iori kept her arms crossed. "So when do we hear that I got the job?"

"Did we not talk about that? Hm." Maya said, relieved, and flipped through her phone. "Relatively soon, actually. They should be choosing three girls out of that whole pool, and this says we'll know in a few days..."

"How _many_ days?"

"Oh, by Monday they told me," she said without looking up.

"The whole weekend?" She was shocked a moment, but gave it up quick. "Well, fine. What can you do, I guess... I wish they'd get it together, though."

"Are you feeling confident about it?"

"Of course!" she said, eyes closed. "They completely loved me."

"Hm." Maya smiled, finishing up on her phone and pocketing it, walking closer to the door to peer outside as well. "Any compliments?"

"They said I was very charming, I'll have you know."

"Good," she said. "And I don't think they're just saying that."

No response. The silence continued and okay, come on, where were Yayoi and the twins? This was getting silly. Iori continued frowning at the window, and Maya had absolutely no idea what to say.

She was surprised in the next moment, though: Iori faltered. She relaxed her shoulders, let some of her standoffishness go in the hovering grey light. "Hey, Maya… you remember that girl who came in with me?"

She perked up. "Wait – which girl?"

"Oh. The one from Cosmo, I mean," she said. "The short blond one."

Maya nodded, remembering. "Good eye."

"What? No, I didn't notice anything special, it was obvious! She wouldn't stop bragging about it!"

"Haha!" Maya laughed. "Yeah, you run into those types pretty often, when you're starting out. What about her?"

"She just…" Iori shied away a little bit, but kept talking. "She was just… so full of herself. She thinks she knows everything even though this was her first job…"

"I mean, Cosmo Pro is a big agency, right? It's probably overconfidence." Maya scratched her head. "Why? Did she do something that worried you?"

She tried to find the words. "Is it really normal? To, like… um. Is it cheating? Is everyone doing it?"

"Is what cheating?" Maya turned, listening more closely.

Iori continued, mad at even remembering it. "She said! That everyone here is only buying jobs, like… blah blah blah, the president will make everything work out for me once I start getting attention, he'll make the directors pick me all the time! A bunch of stuff like that."

Maya leaned against the wall, working out how to explain this. "Well. That's certainly part of things."

"Really?"

"'Cheating,' I mean… it's a bit of a gray area. As in, which advantages are okay and which aren't, it's not an easy line. Because it's one thing that bigger agencies always have more resources and connections, but..."

"I know _that_."

She paused. Shifted her train of thought. "I can imagine. You probably grew up right around it, huh?"

Iori paused in turn, for a long few seconds. "Oh," she sighed in a brief puff, "Hm. I hadn't thought you already caught on about that."

"Did you not want me to?"

"Everyone makes such a big _deal_ of it," she said, brushing her hair back with one hand and using the motion to shy away. "So – so I thought you were going to, too."

"I don't want to treat you differently because of your family either," Maya said, crossing her arms. "But… Iori-chan, it is a big part of who you are. And I do want to start getting to know you better, so…"

"Fine, whatever! Can we get back to the topic?"

She quietly flushed. Too forward. "Haha, um... sorry."

"All I want to know is if _we're_ going to have to be like that," Iori said insistently. "If we're going to have to be around it."

"Well. Do you want to? You probably could, you know."

"That's exactly what she said!" She turned with a small frustrated stomp, "Listen, okay? If you want to lean on my family to make things easier, I don't want you working for me. I don't need it. Do you get that?"

She was surprised at how little that phased Maya. "You told me," she said, "that you wanted to get to the top. Right?"

"Yes! And I'm going to." She crossed her arms pointedly. "But I'm doing it on my own..."

"There's going to be obstacles to that. This, and a lot of other things." Maya crossed her arms, looking at her carefully. "But come on. When you do get there, would it be worth anything if it wasn't who you really are?"

"Of course not."

"Then that's my answer," Maya said, face set. "I wouldn't go near that even if you asked me."

Iori glared up at her worriedly for another second, and then turned back to the door. "As long as you understand. That's how I feel, too."

"But," Maya inhaled, straightening up again and lightening her tone, "some people will always try to get ahead in ways they shouldn't. But for the most part, places that are really rich will just make their own opportunities – that's easier for them to do, and the right way to go. If someone directly tells you what that girl told you, they're either very, very naive – or only bluffing."

Iori was finally frowning less. "So she was trying to scare me? That's it?"

"Maybe. I'd guess so, at least. It's hard to tell without knowing, and there's still a lot I need to learn about how things work here, too…" She smiled bashfully. "Let's keep our eyes out, okay?"

"...Okay."

"Great. Then we'll figure this out together."

Iori looked away, eyes drifting along the threshold of the door. "Yeah... and… and it's a good song, okay? I didn't tell you that yet, but… I like it a lot," she said, her voice suddenly softer. She apparently realized this, and snapped back up harsh to compensate. "So you can't let anyone ruin it for me! Deal?"

Maya nodded. "Deal."

Iori smiled back, her eyes sharp, and with impeccable timing the office door banged open above them and the other three came clattering down. Iori looked up at Maya reproachfully. "Well. Shall we go, then?"

* * *

 _9:02PM  
_ _Bar Vega_

Kotori was an interesting girl. She reminded Maya of Azusa in a lot of ways, even this early into knowing both of them – so straightforward initially, but with something about her that escaped her. For the barely-plural weeks they'd known each other, Otonashi had seemed very put-together and professional, calm in the face of minor everyday stress with a slight side of clumsiness – Maya had not been expecting her to get _this_ drunk so easily.

Wasn't too dramatic, really. She was only a bit unsteady so far, with a persistent blush and wandering eyes. They'd settled into a booth seat at the lounge bar Shigeru had picked out; it was a place on the smaller side a few stops from the agency up towards Shinagawa. Ooyama said he found out about it through one of the president's many, many varied friends from the old days – he mentioned that this one was you know, the whole reporter type. Yoshi… something? Ahh, what was wrong with her memory lately?

It was a nice place. Had a kind of dignity to it, despite the low ceilings and clutter of various decorations and memorabilia on the walls. Even the sparse and rather stark white lights were nice, gave it a lot of atmosphere.

Shigeru glanced to the seat next to Maya, where Kotori was slumped over and poking at her side dishes. He sipped his water coolly and reserved judgement.

"Well? Two weeks in," he leveled, gesturing from across the table at the two. "How are we holding up?"

"Wellll…" Maya exhaled, "it has been a long day."

He blinked measuredly. "Miss Minase putting you through the ringer already, I see."

Kotori poured herself another little cup of sake, getting the bottle down to about the halfway point. "Haaa, she's so cute when she's mad..." she mumbled, mainly to herself as the other two resolutely ignored it.

"Well. I'm keeping up with her so far. Overall it's been more running around than I expected, but none of it has been stressful or anything, and I'm glad it's keeping me on my toes." She fiddled with her napkin absentmindedly. "I was worried there'd be more downtime starting off, so it's a relief."

"That's good," Shigeru said.

Kotori pushed herself up again. "A-ah," she joked, sighing exaggeratedly, "you're really making me work already, huh?"

"Heh. Well, expect more of that, sorry."

"Speaking of which," Shigeru said, "I know today was her first real audition?"

"Yes, yes, do tell us how it was there!"

Maya snapped back. "Ah, yeah. It's some rookie talent show type thing – a little contest, winner gets a special magazine photoshoot. A bit gamey and I'd like to get singing soon, but... I'm starting to look into smaller public concert stuff to build attention. We should talk about that."

He nodded. "I'm in early tomorrow. Let's go over it."

"Great, yeah," she said. "I definitely need direction on that end, I don't really know... what kind of gigs are even available here. The standards and all."

"Mm," he sighed, cracking his neck. "Fair, and not a bad idea either. Starting to build up a few public appearances is important – any news on the others?"

"Uh." She thought for a moment. "Oh! We actually got the twins in through the first audition for this one variety type show, that should be held on Tuesday… 'Gerogero Kitchen?' I think they'll take well to that sort of thing."

He put down his water and took a moment to clear his throat. "Is that still run by Morioka, by any chance?"

"Um..." She paused, flipping through her wallet for the business card she'd gotten. "Ah! Here it is – yeah, Morioka, director..."

He sat back in the booth again; the vinyl of the seats squeaked. "Skip it."

She snapped up to look at him, a bit hurt. "What? What do you mean? They were so excited about it, though!"

Kotori joined in with her, "Mhm... I don't remember that name – you're sure you're thinking of the right person?"

"No, trust me," he handed back the card with two fingers. "That's not the kind of exposure they need."

She took it back, looking it over for some kind of incriminating evidence. "Is... is it not a normal cooking show thing? I thought..."

"I'll find you some back tapes sometime," Shigeru said, crossing his arms. "I mean, it's not _terrible_ , there's a lot worse you could do. But they're just too young for how that one's shot."

She looked up warily, Kotori fidgeting beside her. "...Something creepy about it?" Maya asked.

He shook his head. "Oh, I'm overreacting. I tend to worry." He pointed to the card as she held it, "But I don't feel wrong to worry about that. I won't micromanage, it's just… make sure to get your research in. Then make your own calls."

Maya looked down, turning the unassuming business card over in her fingers. She was still missing so much, and hoped it wouldn't start holding her back like this as they went forward. Was she rushing again?

Kotori stepped in, voice wavering. "Ahh, Ooyama here's so cautious, y'know."

"Cautious?" He frowned in confusion. "I mean, that's one way of putting things... It's only something I learned from Takagi. One can never overthink, there's always more to consider."

"I suppose..." Kotori said, subdued.

"This…" He struggled for words, raising his shoulders. "Well, you know this, Miraflores-san. Teenagers… it's a delicate time for all of them."

"Mm." Maya had learned that the hard way, once. "Support comes before success, I know."

"I apologize. I didn't mean to get quite so grave." He thumbed the edge of his water glass, eyes drifting. "It's just… this can push people out, sometimes. Before they get a chance to find what they were looking for."

"Saionji-chan, huh?" Kotori said, sympathetic. "You're talking about her alot lately."

He frowned. "Well. Let's not get into that, but… yes, among others."

"Everyone retires," Kotori said, seeming to have sobered up a bit. "You know, a lot of the women who work in this field just never made it."

"Never made it?" Maya asked.

"It's not such a rare story, you know," she continued, "Try to make it on stage, don't make the cut – but you still have a place to work at. Could name you a hundred girls like that!"

Shigeru wasn't sure where this was going. "Otonashi…"

"Ah!" she burst out, ignoring him, "like Kazusa-chan, you remember her? Man, she has it maaade now..."

"Azusa?" Maya asked, miles behind the conversation.

Kotori shook her head, "No no, _Ka_ zusa, ka."

" _Who_ is this?" he asked, not registering the name.

"Wakamiya?" She frowned, gesturing with her glass. "From that jerk's old unit, you know. Super hotshot now."

"Ahhh, Wakamiya... that's different, then," he said, crossing his arms. "But no, I don't think I ever knew her."

"Black Thread, maybe it was?" she mused, looking up. "Oh I don't know. They only made it a few months..."

"Hm."

"Um. Anyway…" Maya ventured. She really had not been expecting to go that far into deeper waters.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Of course this all probably means little to you," Shigeru said.

"No, no, it's not that I don't care! I mean… well, I'm still quite out of the loop, you understand? That's all."

He nodded. "Yes. Really, it's my fault for getting swept up in old history."

"Yes, yes," Kotori added, "nothing you really need to know yet, don't let us be all… all… what's the word?"

"Self-indulgent."

She nodded, confident. "Yes, self – hey! That sounds pretty mean, actually."

"Regardless," he said, before refocusing. "I've been meaning to ask. Did the songs go over well today?"

"Oh!" she said, perking up and snapping out of it, grateful to talk about something she had two weeks of experience on instead of zero. "Very well, actually! They're all happy with them, and it'll be a while before we have them down, but... well, even I'm excited about it."

Kotori looked up. "Hehe... I can't wait to hear, either... it'll be so different from Azusa or Makoto-chan's stuff. To cuteness!" She raised her glass up a bit dramatically and downed it without waiting for anyone to join her.

"C-cuteness," Maya raised hers, warily.

"Cuteness aside," Shigeru said, begrudgingly making a little motion with his water hand, "you think they'll take to them well?"

"I do, actually. Yeah, they all seemed impressed – Ami and Mami are a little worried about doing things on their own, but I know we'll work through it."

"Those two," he said, privately relieved at getting out of having to deal with that himself. "It's good that they're able to rely on each other, though. Can be hard to find."

"Ah, I see. Yes, they're definitely close," she said, smiling at something on the table next to her coaster. "And it's a good gimmick, if you're going to have one."

Kotori giggled to herself from the edge of the table.

"And - and what about Hagiwara-san?" Maya said, trying to round out the conversation. "I'd like to keep tabs on her too, I guess." Yukiho had practically asked her to, after all.

"Well. She's a rather bright one, you know. Has her doubts, certainly, but she's taken to it faster than I expected," he said. "Faster than she expected, likely."

"Hm. Any plans forming?"

He nodded. "The one advantage of the lower entry-levels is that turnaround is relatively fast. It's easy to build attention once you hang on a while."

"How do you mean by that?"

"As in build up an image, experience, just take what comes to you. I want to let her set the pace of things – step up when she's ready."

That'd certainly require some patience. Probably wouldn't be able to run that kind of strategy herself. "Hm. You think that'll be on the sooner side?"

He looked her in the eyes – something rare, for him – and smiled. "She always surprises me."

A moment passed.

"But back on your end." He sipped his water, and put it down with a clack. "Will you be going to practices and all?"

She nodded, "Oh, when I can! Again, I'm not exactly a coach, but it's important to be there… this'll be my first time seeing the full process of how they each learn – all four, I mean – it's a very important phase… I'll have my hands full!"

"You can't be _overworking_ yourself already, Miraflores-san," Kotori admonished (a bit too seriously for the situation) and leaned over. "Really. If you don't keep your condition in mind now, it'll catch right up to you, you know?"

"I'm not really… overworking," she said, considering. "I should be doing more, really, and all of this will help me adapt. Need to hit my stride again, right?" she smiled.

Kotori replied bluntly, eyebrows raised. "It's hard, huh?"

"Hm? What is?"

"Adapting, I mean… it was a lot to get used to when I first started here, there was so much to learn!" she pouted emphatically.

"Oh?" Shigeru raised his eyebrows, taking interest. "You mean back in '0–"

She dropped her head, waving her arms across the table. "Ahhh, don't say it! Come on!"

"Oh, fine, fine," he said. "Honestly."

"Actually," Maya said, "how did you start here, Otonashi-san? I'm curious, everyone apparently has such a story here."

She sat up, immediately proud, "I was scouted, did you know!"

"Oh?" she said, confused. "Like - like as an idol?"

"Yes! Oh, a few years ago," she said, oblivious to Shigeru choking back a laugh at the understatement from across from her, "but that was all a bit much for me, so… well, here I am!"

"You just stayed on?" Maya said bemusedly.

"Mm," she said through her cup, and set it down again. "The president and I hit it off quite well, actually, and he can always use the help."

"Huh. You must've been suited for it starting off, then. Office work is a very particular set of skills."

"Well, I can't imagine it was that, haha," she said, waving the compliment off. "Again, I had to learn so much! If I had to say, I guess it was that… I was driven."

"Driven," Shigeru said.

"Yes! Youthful vigor is what this industry runs on, you know!" she said, apparently no longer in the process of sobering up. "Even with us!"

Shigeru sighed. "Otonashi-san…"

"What? No, no, I'm serious here! That's the attitude you have to come in with! Fight right alongside everyone!"

He rubbed his eyes. "Otonashi…"

Maya's phone vibrated – so loudly on the hardwood table that it startled her. She checked it quickly, apologizing for the noise, and then fell quiet for a moment.

"Miraflores-saaan. What's wrong?" Kotori asked, leaning forward with a look of comical overworry and immediately snapping out of her spiel.

"Ah, I, um. Heard back from Rari, just now," she said, finally looking away from the screen. "We got it. She's in."

* * *

 _10PM  
_ _Kuroi Tower – Dance Studio Floor_

"Again?"

Hibiki was panting hard, bent over in front of the practice room's mirror wall. For a moment it seemed she would refuse – but she snapped her head up, scattering a few drops of sweat, and met his eyes in the reflection. "Yeah!"

Touma Amagase tapped the room's tablet controls, and let the _Marionette no Kokoro_ off-vocal run one more time over the speakers. With his habitual glare, he watched her run through the dance, whispering the lines under her breath, her hair clinging to her back. He'd lost count of how many times this made.

Fairy had been with Kuroi for several months now. Jupiter, his own unit, had been the most successful idol group at the agency beforehand, and now that Fairy was catching up quickly the two groups found each other spending more and more time together. His pride had moved him, recently, to step in as a sort of mentor for the new girls – but he was starting to get a bit worried.

Of the three, Hibiki was pushing herself the hardest. She would wave it off, which was enough for her unitmates, but Touma saw it very clearly enough. Even though Miki was clearly the president's favorite of the three and knew it, Hibiki was the one who was starting to feel the expectations he had for them most.

Everyone knew the old man could be harsh, but he was just as fair. As soon as president Kuroi had gotten Jupiter its big break, Touma had been very aware of what kind of debt that was, even if his own unitmates Shouta and Hokuto didn't as keenly. Signing and singing at Kuroi was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and if you were going to take it you had better live up to it – this was why he understood that drive he saw in Hibiki, because it was something he'd seen in himself long before this current chapter. With that said, if Touma was still getting vibes of overwork from her… he knew he had a reason to be worried.

The song ended. "Alright. We're stopping." He tapped the room's soundsystem off.

She spun around, after the last moments, face bright under the half-on lights. "Huh? Wait, but I'm still – "

"We're stopping." He put his foot down, leaning forward in his chair and letting his voice drop. "Your passion is good, but at this pace you'll run yourself into the ground."

She glared at him for a moment, not entirely sure whether to fight back or not. But then the exhaustion finally began hitting her, and she acquiesced. She sighed and slumped over, "Fine, fine. You're right."

He tossed her a towel as he began packing things up. "You're still rushing in the second verse. And watch your expressions more closely. It's not exactly a smiling song, but don't look too angry."

"Aright," she said, catching her breath and wiping her face. "Thanks, Touma-senpai."

"It's nothing." He shrugged, uncharacteristically unaffected by the compliment. "If you really want to get up to speed, I have a duty to help."

"Yeah. It's like... agh!" She looked up, still frustrated. "I just… I just know I needa catch up with them already, and I'm not there yet, and, and..."

"No whining," He cautioned stonily, cutting her off. "You're getting there. Give yourself a minute."

She looked back at him, pleasantly surprised. "Ehe... you're actually kinda nice, you know? I don't think you know that."

"Sure," he brushed a bit of his immaculately boyband-messy hair out of his face. "Call it easily worried." They stepped out into the hallway, flipping off the lights on the way.

The building had already emptied for the night, and all the staff long gone home. All the lights were off, low, or manually turned on, giving the corridors and offices a dim and sleepy feel to them. Hibiki always felt like that kind of thing was comforting. To really get used to a place, so much that even dark and abandoned it wouldn't be scary.

Her bit of introspection was shattered as she, a bit slow to the punch, realized Miki had been waiting for them. The girl was standing aimlessly in the hallways, eyes bleary and clothes rumpled as per practically always. "Huh? Hibiki, Touma... You're still here?"

" _You're_ still here?" Hibiki asked incredulously. Was she picking now to develop a work ethic? "It's like ten! What were you even busy with?"

"Um..." Miki looked back at her, baffled as to why it was a question. "Miki was kinda just taking a nap in Hiro's office? She wasn't really busy or anything..."

"Gah, you... you're so hopeless!" She stomped forward, "Again? One of these days you're gonna get him in serious trouble! And were you gonna walk home alone?"

Miki, meanwhile, had woken up a little more by then, and recoiled baffled and slightly miffed as Hibiki got in her face. "Huh? It was only that one time, right? Miki doesn't get why it's such a big deal at _all_."

"Which is why I hafta be so careful, cuz you _don't_ get why!" Hibiki snapped, half teasing and half serious, "Be a little more aware of the position, kay?"

"Hmph. Miki can take care of herself y'know." She turned up her nose. "President said I can do whatever I want, remember!"

"Cuz he gave up tryna deal with you is why..." Hibiki mumbled.

Touma interrupted them, starting to walk down the hall towards the stairwell, and they followed. "Well, either way. It's late – you _are_ going back to the dorms, right?"

"Yeah," Hibiki said, turning back, "Can't do much else tonight, and we're gonna be up pretty early."

Miki pushed forward this time, suddenly worried. "Huh? Wait, wait, Miki didn't know about that – what for?"

She swung back into scolding mode. "What? For that one show recording, don't you remember? The... oh c'mon, whatsit called..."

Touma let them bicker as they moved towards the elevators. He hung back again, thinking – should he really have stayed so late? His producer Sanjouba would give him hell for it when she inevitably found out in the morning – she had a terrifyingly keen read on him – especially considering he was alone with girls. But that wasn't what he was actually worried about.

They made it out through the wide, yawning lobby, past the black-marble floors and central fountain. The single receptionist who remained at the main front desk at this hour was just packing up herself, and waved them out – a large percentage of employees worked late hours here, and the night shift proper was switching over for the hourly-paid staff.

Touma zipped his coat up, and Hibiki pulled her two-sizes-too-big jacket closer around her, recoiling as the wind hit them. It was an unseasonably cold night – Miki seemed not to mind too much, but Hibiki wasn't used to it yet. Moving up in the dead of winter had certainly made nothing easier.

They walked – the dorms weren't far from the main tower, close enough that even heading to the station wasn't worth it. Miki sighed and flipped through her phone lazily as Hibiki audibly shivered, and it was probably time to try to make conversation again.

"So. Let's see..." Touma turned to her, keeping pace. "Have you... been adapting to the city alright?"

"Mn! I think so at least."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "You mean it?"

"Um, it's still pretty hard, t' be fair…" she admitted sheepishly. "But! I'm doing my best! That's what the president expects, right?"

"Well, yes." He faced forward again, unfazed at the wind. "But even the old man –"

"I'm fine!" she cut him off. Almost harsh, yes, but a moment later she looked up at him again softly. "Hehe. I'm having fun too, y'know?"

He let her talk.

"So it's a lot, yeah. It's a lot to adapt too, especially cuz I never went nearly this far from home…"

"Ah, yes. I know Miki had to move closer, and me as well, but Kanagawa's only two hours away and all. You and Shijou have it hard."

"Mn. But like, it's a lot to discover, too! So it doesn't bug me too much," she said, "I just need a little time."

Touma let the quiet linger. Miki was walking far ahead of them, a bit lost in thought – or whatever it was that went through her head.

Hibiki still didn't really get Miki. As long as they had known each other she had always seemed like such an incredibly simple girl, but also never once stopped surprising her. That was part of her virulent charisma, of course, but Hibiki felt like there was something even beyond that. Something special, that neither talent, nor charm, nor gap appeal could account for alone.

"She sure takes it easy, huh? Hehe."

"Far too much," he said, squaring his shoulders. "But... well, I think she's earned it."

"Really?"

"Yeah.," he said. "You guys surprised me a lot, you know… still do. We never saw anyone else make strides like you have, this quickly."

"Ehe, well… yeah, they are pretty incredible, huh," Hibiki said. She let the wind glance off her face, smiling fondly. "Miki can do anything, and Takane… well, she's perfect already. She's always kinda been ahead of us."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, of course!" She spun to face him, her expression a few steps removed from indignant. "That's why I asked you to come tonight! Takane's special – real special, right? So yeah we're pretty big n' all, but… I still gotta go farther."

He exhaled a cloud of white. "You're on your way. Remember that."

And with that they were already back at the dorms.

Kuroi owned a whole apartment block not far from the main building. It wasn't quite as luxurious as the tower proper, but it wasn't bad – many of the other performers and employees of the company were allowed to live here for a much discounted rate. Jupiter had landed a rather lavish joint apartment up on the top floor off of seniority, while Fairy was still staying in smaller single units on the first, due to being new and all. The president said that privacy was really important, especially since they weren't spending much time at home.

Hokuto had for some inscrutable reason come downstairs to greet them upon receiving Touma's text that he'd be back soon – hopeless as ever, the guy was standing there proud and oblivious in his velvet nightgown.

"Touma!" he waved from just too far away to hold a conversation. "My, you all made it home after all."

"Hey Hokuto!" Miki waved, skipping up ahead to the door.

He smiled, nodding to her winningly. "If it isn't Miki-chan. Welcome home – have you eaten well enough tonight?"

Her eyes practically flashed. "Um, are you offering? Haha, cuz –"

"You," Hibiki said, moving in and dropping a hand onto her shoulder before things spiraled out of control, "are gonna go to bed already!"

She protested weakly, "Ehh? But Miki just slept a bunch at the office, why –"

"Gaaah, you're hopeless!" Hibiki started pushing her in by the shoulders, giving up on pretense. "Come on, come on..."

"What a shame, what a shame... but I understand. A healthy sleep cycle is key to maintaining that beauty of yours, you know," Hokuto winked from the doorway as the two came in.

"Haha! You're really funny, y'know!" Miki called after him as Hibiki forced her down the hallway. "Night night!"

Hibiki let herself smile back. "Bye guys! 'N thanks again for everything, Touma-senpai!"

"Yeah! You know where to find me." He waved as they rounded the corner.

Hokuto sighed, as Touma slowly put his arm down again. The space fell quiet hard, suddenly feeling closer and still.

"Hmmm… you're pretty interested in this one, huh?" Hokuto said, but a moment later let his teasing smile fade. "You know, we still –"

"Huh?" Touma cut him off. "Don't be ridiculous, Sanjouba gives me enough trouble. It's only that we both have our own blond idiots to take care of – we were getting tips from each other."

"So mean! I'm so shocked! Fine then, I fully retract my offer of leftovers," he pouted, exaggerating for effect.

"As if you even made them."

"Yes, yes," Hokuto patted him on the shoulder. "Now _do_ come on, let's go."

Touma stared back one more time, and turned to go upstairs.

* * *

"And you promise you're going to sleep now?"

"Miki promises alreadyyy!" she whined, aggrievedly.

Hibiki leaned forward in the doorframe as Miki halfheartedly made to close it again. "And you promise you'll be up by six?"

She continued puppy-eye frowning. "Um… that's, like, asking a lot, y'know?"

"Well if you get left behind it's not my fault then, alright?" she said, relenting to step back and lock her hands on her hips. "And you'll be the one apologizing for it t' everyone."

"Ehhh? I mean…"

Miki was still so easy, sometimes. Wildly flighty and hard to predict half the time, but outside of that she was gemstone-transparent. Hibiki worried about that, when she wasn't busy exploiting it so they could get _some_ work done.

"Well, as long as you get it, 's all good!" She let herself smile again. "So seeya in the morning?"

"Fine, fine! Geez, you're already making Miki tired again… You're such a bully, Hibiki! Go to bed too!"

"Ah, as long as it works! Hehe. Sleep well though, kay?"

"Mm! G'niiight, y'know..."

Hibiki sighed as the door closed, relieved. She felt like she was playing babysitter again! Except Takane wasn't as easy to pick up when she was eating weird things off the floor as a random three-year old cousin was, and Miki was even more difficult than that. But either way, she was home.

She jogged the few meters to her own door, holding back a smile before fumbling with her keys and bursting in.

"Inumiii! Hamuzou! I'm baaack!"

* * *

And in only about two minutes they were outside again. Inumi had been inside practically all day and the St. Bernard was excited for a chance to stretch her legs, while Hibiki's hamster had already taken his usual position on her shoulder and nuzzled against her neck in the cold. The night was always easier, then.

They made it around the block and through a small adjoining park. Hibiki chatted to them about her day and heavily considered the option to jog it out a few blocks, but decided against it – it was already late. The streetlights were all fluorescent here, so different from the orange glow she was more used to, and there was nothing quite like tree branches throwing pixelated shadows to remind you you weren't home anymore.

The Ganaha family lived in a wide kind of complex on the outskirts of Okinawa. It was composed of pretty much an entire street right along the coast, both sides of it having been slowly bought up by the family over a span of decades, and as it stood now it had been an absolute hive of screaming kids and scolding aunts and laughing uncles jumbled up with their varying schedules and gossip networks. Peace and quiet were at such premiums that it was _strange_ to suddenly be living alone in a quiet neighborhood, now. Not scary or lonely even, she knew she'd get over those quick – only strange.

When she moved up, it had taken a while to convince the president – he hadn't been keen on the idea of pets, but had eventually come around. When she first got scouted and began warming up to the weird old guy wearing the only black Hawaiian shirt she'd ever seen, she had practically refused to listen unless she could bring _some_ one with her. It was an entirely different world, and least of all the city itself.

She was thinking too hard, not watching where she was walking, and jolted out of it. "Ah, Hamuzooou… I'm getting all caught up again!"

They made it back to the dorms again, Inumi now more relaxed and affectionate. Hamuzou chirped in response as the double doors sighed shut behind her.

"You guys getting lonely?" She shifted her neck, trying to look at both of them. "Hehe. Should start sneaking you out with me, but I guess you're too big now, huh?"

Inumi snuffed back, jostling through the dimmed hallways. Her here made anything feel like home, as if she was carrying a little piece of the island around with her in one perfect droopy package.

It was already later than she would have liked but hey, that was her own fault. She just had time to put out some food and run through the bath before the fatigue started to take her for real, and there was nothing left to do but get some rest. Her phone which had died hours ago was finally charged, and plopping down on her side she settled into the futon and checked her notifications… and as usual, it was all just Takane.

 _Hibiki_

 _hibiki Ganaha,_

 _KIndly view this image as attached_

After those three individually-sent text messages she had decided to include a single jpeg of a weird blobfish mascot Line sticker. Not even the sticker itself – she had to be going out of her way to find worse quality versions, right? Hibiki marked all the rest as read without blinking; she'd long since given up on trying to keep up with the vocal princess's sense of humor, and would certainly hear about it all over again in the morning.

Hamuzou skittered up the sheets and started nestling in her pillows, while Inumi breathed soft and slow asleep up against her feet. She shifted, about to turn off the lights, and then noticed one more message.

 _Ganaha-san. Wanted to apologize that Matsuda-san gave you such a hard time earlier today. I know hes been under a lot of deadline pressure lately, but he does know how hard you guys are trying. Basically did you let it get to you? The president had me on other projects most of the week so i havent seen much of you (but your dog was glad to see me!) but I should get on his case more haha. Lets talk tomorrow, I'll still be picking you three up by 630? Thanks._

 _Hirai._

 _Sent from my iPhone_

Heh. The guy was so finicky. She was surprised he was talking to _her_ , honestly – Miki was the one who liked him so crazily, and Takane was the oldest which made her most responsible… but well, she wasn't complaining.

She made sure her alarm was on for six, and finally turned out the light. Tomorrow they'd be getting out again! She'd learn even more about the city! She'd find a lunch place close to the dorm she really liked! Maybe she could drag Takane out if they had a free hour or two; it seemed like her kind of thing and plus, she'd been wanting to hang out more after-hours… there was so much to worry about.

She curled up and dreamt of sun.


	5. From a Distance

_Apr 3, 8PM_  
 _Basilico Italian Restaurant_

This was Maya's life now. This is what she did. She got lost in the city. She got tortured by thirteen-year-olds. She nipped at Ooyama's heels in a constant game of catchup. And she got dinner with people, night after night, and listened to them talk at her.

Tonight, at least, was not one of the innumerable networking missions Ooyama had been sending her on. Tonight was Souichi Takeda laughing in her face.

"Hahaa! Oh Maya, Maya dear. What can I say?" he said, with that haughty nonchalance he always had. "I can only apologize!"

"Souichi…" she warned. How long had it been since she'd forced herself into a dress like this? The Italian place had been an expensive but pleasant mistake to say the least, and she was only here rather than somewhere more reasonable because the bemused coworker from Transreach that he'd dragged along had excitedly suggested it. It was some junior guy he'd recently taken under his wing – Takeda had adapted very well to being back in the country, and was climbing fast. Too fast, and too distant anyway, for her to fully stay informed about.

"No, no, really," he interrupted, waving his hand. "You really are a loose cannon, now as ever, huh? I'm still so shocked you're here!"

She was in grumbling territory now. "Souichi…"

She glanced at the guy accompanying him, who was smiling in the direct, interny kind of way, not sure where to get a word in edgewise.

"Sorry, sorry. Phew." He sat back a bit, throwing his arm over the back of his chair. "Are you at least surviving? How is it treating you?"

"I'm enjoying it, actually!" she said. "That'll teach you to be so mean about it." Had he only brought along the other guy so she didn't have a chance to snap back at him properly?

"I'm not trying to be mean," he said, allowing himself a smirk. "Well, not entirely. I'm already feeling bad about getting you into this whole side of things, especially with your goals... I don't know what to say."

"I told you," she said, stabbing one of her annoyingly excellent ravioli. She'd been hoping to at least be able to make fun of ketchup spaghetti or something tonight, but even that small joy had been robbed from her. "You're not giving them enough credit."

"I still haven't seen much reason to."

"You," she said, "are unforgiving."

A moment passed. The polite murmur of the restaurant continued around them.

"Um," the other guy finally spoke up. Kamatani, if she remembered right. "Takeda-san has filled me in on some of the details, of course. But I'm curious as to exactly what capacity you worked together in?"

"Ah, yes haha!" she said, remembering that she had to be polite and was not in one of her habitual shit-shooting sessions with him. "We were both at Transreach, the New York office?"

"She was a manager before," Takeda finished, waving airily with a fork. "Slightly different title, plenty of overlap. Much more hands-on than me; for my part I wrote, recorded, attended the occasional meeting."

"He did most of the actual composition work for the group I was managing. Has he told you much about Kay Kay?"

The guy shook his head. "Ah, not especially. Though I am familiar with the work he did there."

"Ah, I see I see. He is very good at what he does, I don't blame you."

"So... why were you let go, Miraflores-san?" he asked with a half-full mouth. "It was mentioned to me that you were doing rather well there."

That was an embarrassing way to put it. "Oh. I wasn't exactly... let go, you know, it's –"

Souichi laughed, "You were practically fired!"

She glared, "Oh, I was not fired! Don't say it like that."

"Fine, fine." He gave one last teasing smile. "No, she was just too ambitious for them. You outgrew them is all, Maya."

She was certain he was making fun of her at this point, but the other guy was eating it up. She was so tired.

"And what have you been doing, anyway?" she asked. "Still on that radio show?"

"On it?" he asked. "Maya, I host it."

"Yes. And _Old Whistle_ is really making an impact, you know," Kamatani said.

"It's surprising me quite how much, actually," he said, not quite as pleased as she would have expected from him. "You were right, I have built some type of reputation. Not to brag or anything."

"You never brag, of course," she said, and won a laugh. "Is this your main project now?"

"Oh, no. Well..." He thought for a moment.

"Hm?"

"Well it is taking precedence, haha!" he laughed, almost bashfully. "Really, you should listen sometime – you'd be amazed by the artists I've had the luck to work with so far. I... I've never had such a clear chance to be around the best. Things keep changing..."

She was used to him being confident and ambitious, but there was something new in his tone – starstruck, almost playful – as if he'd finally achieved something he'd been aiming for a long time, but now didn't quite know what to do with himself.

"That's wonderful. It seems like it's good for you."

"It is," he nodded. "And I hope yours is as well."

* * *

Dinner ended eventually. Kamatani scampered on home in the opposite direction, and they made the walk to the station together.

"Why Ginza?" she asked, appreciating the buildings as they passed. "You are so flashy, you know that?"

"Loosen up a bit, it's better for connections," Takeda shrugged. "He wanted to impress you, we have the money. So why not?"

"Yeah, _you_ might." She pouted her hands further into her pockets. "Not exactly paying the most for me yet, you know?"

"Different standards. But," he said, unbothered, "you should be sightseeing more anyway. Finally got that visa and you don't even take the time to see the big landmarks?"

"I'll pick it up eventually. We'll be running around it all soon enough."

"With enough luck, sure. But take advantage of it now. Make some memories." He thought for a moment. "Your luck is again impeccable, the sakura's out and everything."

"Yeah. Sure is."

She looked up again. They really had not been kidding about the whole cherry blossoms thing. The occasional trees at the side of the road were all perfect little clouds, glowing beneath the streetlights, and the petals had by now scattered even to the curbs of the city's greyer portions.

She probably did spend too much time at home, now that she thought of it. She had so little to do here besides work; all of her more official, transition-related errands were wrapping up and it wasn't as if she knew many people here yet. There was that one old college classmate who'd moved back to Sapporo, two expat acquaintances in the city in completely different fields who she'd have to go out of her way to see - and that was all. In her original plans for the move she had been counting on old American Transreach contacts to still be available, but now that it wasn't her company anymore it wasn't much of a place to turn.

He broke the silence, his lighter tone gone. "Tell me, Maya. For real. Why did you come?"

She came out of her introspection. "I mean. I don't know. When the job with you fell through I just... I felt like I couldn't stay there. And besides, this is my field! So a bit," okay really more than a bit, "of adaptation, and..."

"Your field?" He looked down at her with a hard-to-read smile. "Oh, come on. What do you know about idols in the first place? Such sudden interest, now that you're here."

"That's not what I... and okay, it's not like I didn't know _anything_ coming in."

"Really?"

"Yes!" She retorted, trying to explain in the face of that withering look. "I mean, I never got really into it, obviously. But, ok, I practically grew up with Mai Hidaka, and –"

He openly scoffed. "Please. You and everyone else born on the planet before 2000, that doesn't count."

"Of course it counts! What could possibly count if she doesn't?"

"Nope. She was, and always will be, in a class of her own," he said, closing that side of the discussion. "And regardless, I know you're familiar with all the big groups – Sunrise Sunset, Barium, Twenty, whatever. Probably the new ones too, Fairy and the like. But you haven't been around them, you haven't followed them."

She didn't respond.

He took a diplomatic breath. "All I'm saying is you're going to have a hard time until you realize one thing. You're still thinking of this as the music industry, not the entertainment one."

"Hm."

"Sorry. I don't mean to be such a scold."

"It's alright. Sure, I'm out of my depth in some ways, I'll admit it."

"Well. As long as you remain _very_ aware of that… tell me. How's it going? You've been so quiet about progress."

Try as she might, she couldn't get herself quite as enthusiastic as she would have liked. He immediately caught it on her face.

"Well. I've mentioned everyone I was assigned to, right?"

"Ah yes. The heiress. You know, they were probably right about your luck, to some extent. Waltz into the country and just _happen_ to get stuck with one of the richest girls in it."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. How could I possibly have known to aim at that?"

"The point is you weren't aiming. At all." He continued looking forward. "I expect you'll skate by on the Minase girl's... position, and be done with it."

"Don't call her that."

He looked down at her again. "What?"

"'The Minase girl'. That's not fair to her. And besides, she's not even the only one, there's –"

"Huh?" he said, looking back at her blankly. "You're saying she hasn't been beating you over the head with the name? That's a new one."

"You're always like this! You focus so much on assumptions, appearances..."

"And? I've cultivated an eye for it, Maya. You could stand to develop a bit more certainty, to stop jumping into things while still second-guessing yourself."

"I'll make it work," she scowled. "And anyway, she's not like that. Whatever you're expecting of her, she's certainly not making the job any easier." She pushed herself up, face smoothing itself out somewhat. "Starting to think there's plenty you don't get, either."

"Well," he said, "tell me more, then."

"Heh. Very first audition we landed she already started getting into arguments…"

He raised an eyebrow – an affectation he had very deliberately cultivated; Maya still remembered when he wasn't able to pull it off completely and insisted on doing it anyway. "With staff?"

"No, no, with some other girl there, trying for the same spot. From Cosmo Productions? You know, the one that handles –"

"I'm familiar," he said, annoyed. "But they're all blowhards, anyway. That president of theirs, Ootomo as I recall, rubs off on them all. A really insufferable old man."

"Aren't you well informed. I thought you didn't care for the idol stuff."

"I don't. Only music."

She sighed good-naturedly. "Anyway, I mentioned this for a reason. Can I ask you something? I felt like it wouldn't have been right to ask the agency about it, but I figured you might have an answer."

"Yeah, of course. I'm being a bit harsh, I know, but I don't mean to shut you down. Please do."

So she went through what had happened at that first audition. What Iori had told her, how Cosmo seemed so out of place there. It wasn't much in the grand scheme of things, and she wasn't expecting some sweeping conspiracy, but it had still been a sour note to start on and she said as much.

"That's it?" he said, impassively.

"What? Oh come on, I was really worried about this!"

"You come to me all freaking out about corruption in the idol industry and this is your first exposure? This is so low level, who even cares?"

"Iori does!" she said, surprisingly vehemently. She stopped in her tracks. "So I have to too, alright?"

He looked back for a moment. "Ahh, jeez," he said, putting an arm over her shoulder and making sure they kept moving. "Alright. Alright. There's your best quality as a manager, I guess."

"Producer."

"Well." Satisfied, he spoke a bit more delicately, letting go again. "I'm not saying you shouldn't be worried about, like, the darker side of things if you want to call it that. I'm saying that that this should not be your primary concern. Look, like… Namuko is a good agency, alright? A proper one. Takagi is one of the best men the industry has, and I mean that. Just remember that worse things have happened here than… than bribery. Much worse."

She wasn't used to this. She had grown accustomed to having a large, stable company behind her, and she definitely couldn't lean on Namuko like that. There was still so much she didn't get, something she was missing, a different perspective that made it feel like she was back at square one again, always looking over her shoulder.

She responded dryly. "I told you I've done my research. I know scandals exist, Souichi. Alright?"

"And I trust you to avoid them, obviously. But come on. Even in the good places, girls feeling washed up by the time they're twenty... is that really where you want to be? You? When we first met you could barely shut up about how ambitious you were, all the decades-long worldshaking careers you wanted to be part of."

"Oh lay off, that's so cynical."

"I'm just saying," he just said. "We both know you have time. But I worry about you getting stuck here, in any number of ways."

She couldn't stand that fatalistic streak of his. "So why does it have to be like that?"

"What? Come on, like you're going to change it all of a sudden."

"And I don't have to change the whole thing, just keep going despite it. And there's plenty of success stories too, even I know that. Look at Fumiko Uehara, Oto Utada… they're, what, fifty and still around?"

He frowned at that. "I don't like calling you naïve, but –"

She cut him off, "You just sound upset."

"I'm not."

She looked up at him but couldn't meet his eyes. "Upset and familiar."

He didn't respond.

Maya wasn't dumb, she was already noticing a pattern. So many people she had spoken to had been so unwilling to elaborate on the more distant years - the nineties, the early thousands. Something had clearly changed there, between the recession of the early 2000s and the slow but promising recovery that 2015 found itself in, but no one was opening up about it. By all accounts, the scene was the liveliest it had been in years right about now - was that not looking up, after all?

She pushed on. "You know, you have been talking a rather big game for someone who got me the job in the first place."

"To my immense chagrin, I still find myself unable to say no to you," he laughed, the previous stillness gone from his face. "You were begging! It was all I could find on such short notice that fit your skillset..." He gave up on trying to phrase it politely, and sighed. "Anyway, I'm not going to chase you off too hard, if you've actually decided you want to do this. But... listen to rumors, alright?"

"Haha, yes yes, I will be sure to gossip it up."

"No," he said, slowing. "I mean it."

She looked back to his surprisingly grave gaze, in a bit of whiplash. "...Alright."

He let the tension out from his shoulders, and looked away. "And don't play favorites either, Maya."

"..."

They stopped in front of the nearest station at last, a streetlight falling garishly on his face. "Well. We're going different directions from here, huh?"

"Yeah." She lightened up, with an old smile. "Let's do this again before the month's up, alright?"

"Sure," he said, hooking his thumb in the strap of his bag. "I'll bring my secretary along next time, she'll be better conversation."

Aaagh of course he already had a secretary. Ridiculous. She should bring Otonashi herself, just to mess with him. "I'll be charmed. See you, Souichi."

"Take care of yourself, Maya."

* * *

 _Apr 4, 2:30PM_  
 _Namuko Productions_

"This is sad," Ami said.

"Yep. This is pretty sad," Mami said.

"I'm tearing up already," Ami lamented, "A little bit."

"It hurts my heart," Mami commiserated, shaking her head. "A little bit."

Maya had arrived minutes ago with Iori, who was in an absolute flurry of excitement, for a short pit stop before they headed out again. Today was the day it was out! The variety show had led to a magazine photoshoot, our very first one – just a page or two pretty deep into the not-exactly-legendary Extra Future magazine, April edition, but it counted! Iori had insisted on buying a few copies of it for herself, and had been looking over and over at the cherry blossom spreads and interview questions the whole car ride.

Today was a busy one. They were running about half an hour late to the day's major event, the office's traditional annual flower-viewing session. Most everyone was already over there, the office was empty of even Kotori, so it was a small surprise that the twins had remained.

"Hey, we're back. What are you two up to?" she asked, stepping into the kitchenette. They were crouched together, peering gloomily into the open fridge.

"Oh, nee-chan," Mami said, turning to her and holding up Maya's own bagged lunch.

Ami met her eyes with genuine pity. "You're never going to get married."

By the time Iori wandered in out of curiosity, the kitchen was in an uproar.

Maya was far more offended than she needed to be. "I can cook! I can cook really well!"

"You call this cooking?" Ami gleefully asked, holding up the ziploc bags of mini pretzels and baby carrots she had stolen.

Maya shielded her face with her hands. "I-it's not like that! Having snacks doesn't mean you can't cook!"

"Iorin, Iorin!" Mami yelled, leaning out of the kitchenette door and trying to get Iori's attention, "Come look at this! Nee-chan can't cook!"

She made a choked kind of whimpering noise as if she had been physically hit.

Iori walked in, annoyed that they were busy and she couldn't start showing off immediately. "What are you guys all whining about? I already ordered lunchboxes for everyone, anyway."

"Eh? Really?" Ami burst out, having completely forgotten her dedicated bullying effort.

"Yes, of course. It's not that big of a deal or anything, they should be getting delivered soon."

"Oh, to the park?" Maya asked, pleasantly surprised at the foresight.

Iori frowned, baffled as to why she was asking. "What? No, here, to the office." On cue, there came a knock on the front door. "Anyway, I need to show you two my pictures! Come here."

The twins immediately clustered around her as Maya answered the door and was faced with a stack of absurd lacquered-box bentos, high enough to cover the delivery guy's face. "Uh… Iori-chan," she called back, trying to figure out the physics problem she was suddenly confronted with, "did you pay for all this in advance?"

Iori had absolutely not paid for it all in advance and the look she threw back let Maya know how ridiculous of a question it had been. Maya nodded once and began fumbling for the company card.

It worked out, though. After the minor hassle of working out the details Maya somehow found it in her to trust the twins to get all the food into the car, and went to collect Yayoi from downstairs.

"Hey!" she said, peeking into the interview room. Yayoi looked up from her mess of papers, clearly having let time get away from her. "Food's here and we're about ready to head out. You need a few minutes?"

"Ah! Um! No, no I'm okay! Hi, Maya-san!" She stood up, hastily starting to gather up her things without breaking eye contact. "I didn't even know you were back yet!"

"Sorry, sorry. Ami said you didn't want to be disturbed, so… sorry if I took too long."

"It's alright!" She held all her papers to her chest and threw on her still-open backpack. "Um, sorry for being quiet too. It's just that I really really had to focus on this essay and I might not have time when I get home, so…"

"I understand," she said. "You don't have to rush quite so much! We still have a few minutes left, and can definitely wait."

Yayoi froze for a moment, but then eased back into a smile. "Ehe, I guess you're right. Ok, I'll clean up better."

Maya stepped into the room as Yayoi began to properly pack up her things this time, glancing out the window occasionally. She seemed really studious from what she'd seen – always sneaking moments like this, or reading in the car – but not exactly out of a natural affinity. She was clearly trying to catch up, and when they started getting busier, would she be able to handle that?

"Ok! I'm ready to leave now!" Yayoi announced happily.

Well, worrying could wait.

* * *

 _3:15PM_  
 _Annin Municipal Park_

It was a large park, adjacent to a small shrine on its grounds. Shigeru's group was already here – a wide blanket or two at the base of an old tree, crammed between tens of other similar blankets occupied with families, other office parties, university friend groups – she'd only even seen something similar on Central Park around the 4th of July, she thought to herself, and jeez Maya are you kidding, could you have possibly come up with a more goofily American sentiment? It was more subdued though, aside from the occasional tipsy uncle or excitable group of grade schoolers in the background. More shade, too.

They clambered out of the van, the twins immediately running off to go bother Yukiho and Makoto. Otonashi waved the rest of them over as they approached, "Hey you guys! Oh my, do you need help?"

Shigeru was already jogging over to rescue the precariously-balanced pile of lunchboxes Maya and Yayoi were attempting to carry over from the van, and promptly took what Yayoi was carrying, which she was immediately grateful for.

"Aah, I can't believe you got so much!" Ritsuko said, just behind him. "Jeez, this really is enough for twelve people. Here, give me half, Miraflores-san."

Maya obliged. "Thanks, thanks. So are we the last ones?"

"Azusa and the president are still on the way," Shigeru said, back turned, "but I'm not quite sure when they'll be arriving.

"Oh? He was along with her today?" Maya asked, loosening her collar as she followed them over to the main spot they'd staked out.

"Yes," Ritsuko added. "We're waiting on some very important news from them, actually!"

Iori beamed, nonchalantly bringing up the rear. "Oh, that's nice. Hey, hey Ritsuko, did you see my pictures yet! Here, I brought you a copy if –"

She sighed sharply, putting down the last of the boxes and straightening up again. Sheepishly, Ritsuko pulled out her own copy of the magazine from where she'd stashed it in her bag – complete with the same post-it bookmarks that her notebook was littered with. "Uh, well… y'see…"

Maya had literally never seen Iori so happy. "I knew it! I knew it, see, even you can see how amazing they are, right? Did you like the one with the parasol?"

"They were all good, Iori. Even though you could definitely polish up your interview skills, this is far too – well. I suppose that's part of your charm, anyway."

Iori had essentially only heard Ritsuko call her charming and remained delighted. "Aren't I, aren't I! Nihihi!" She broke off right away and seemed to be looking for Makoto a moment, but then quickly decided against it and stuck with Maya.

It took a few minutes to get settled in, and by the time most of the food had been passed around Maya noticed Yukiho waving her over. They sat down together, Yayoi heading off to talk with Ritsuko but Iori and the twins following.

"Yukipyon, you forgot to eat!"

"Thank you, thank you, ehe," she said, taking her portion from Ami. "Glad you all made it, welcome!"

"Thanks," Maya said. "Sorry for taking so long and all.

She mock-frowned at that. "It's quite fine! Really, isn't the whole point of being here to relax? Don't let yourself worry about it, today of all days."

"Though you could have afforded to hurry a little," Iori added.

"Understood, understood…"

"Well, I'm glad you made it regardless," Yukiho said. "By the way, is this your first time seeing them, Miraflores-san?"

They sat down. "First? No, no, we have cherry trees too, haha. But not quite like this."

"You know... year after year, I don't think one never gets used to it," Yukiho said, examining a petal that she'd brushed out of her hair. "I really do understand where all the poetry comes from."

"Well I don't," Iori said. "I got pretty tired of them since it was the whole theme of my photoshoot. By the way Yukiho, did I show you the pictures yet? Here, here!"

"Really?" she said, taking the magazine shoved in her face. "But shoots are always so relaxing for me, once you get into them. It's always embarrassing, but this one seems wonderful to be part of." She flipped to the right page. "Again, they're so pretty."

Iori again promptly interpreted that as a compliment. "Well yeah, you're right about that. But still! It was so much waiting around… they had us there forever!"

"Yes, it can get tiring at times. But it was worth it, no?"

"I mean, was it?"

The twins had already started to lose interest in the whole discussion, not being able to relate to it themselves yet, but Yukiho continued. "Of course! The more they have to work with, the better they're able to pick out the best ones. Look how well it turned out," she said, pointing to one of the outdoor ones, "They're so varied… I'm a bit jealous. They liked my own last set, but they seem so boring now that I look back."

"R-really? So even though it's all the same theme mine aren't boring?"

"Not at all! No, it's cohesive. Really good work, Iori-chan."

"Um. Um, yeah, thanks. I'm happy with it too," she said, bashfully fiddling with her stuffed rabbit's ears. "And, um… i-if you want, I'd really like to see the ones from your shoot, too… cuz I think they'd be nice too."

"Mm! I'd love to!"

Before they could continue on with that, there was a commotion from the other side of the area they'd claimed – Maya didn't quite catch on until several people were already standing and fussing over something. Yukiho perked up first, "Oh! Let's head over, shall we?"

Azusa and the president had gotten back, with little fanfare at first. The president was in his best suit (you could tell, as it was practically the only suit he had that didn't look just a bit too big on him), but Azusa looked the same as she always did. At first glance, at least – while she always dressed elegantly and even formally, she was subtly but noticeably more done up today. The first time Maya had seen lipstick on her, actually.

They gathered in the flower shade, Azusa princess-waving. "Hello, everyone! We're back."

The president cleared his throat from beside her. "Would everyone mind gathering up for a moment? We have a rather important update today."

The group murmured and reformed, with varying levels of eagerness – Ritsuko especially was already leaning forward, completely intent.

Takagi waited for a moment until he was satisfied he had everyone's attention. "Well. I'm very happy to announce – the Tonari Ni film has officially been greenlit!"

"Oh, Azusa!" Ritsuko yelped, jumping up to hug her. "That's so great! That's so great! Finally, hahaha!"

"My, Ritsuko-chan…" a bit surprised and off balance as she returned it. "You seem almost as excited as I am!"

"Mm! Of course!" she nodded, beaming. "Oh, this is so great! It's really official this time?"

"Yes, completely completely!" She patted her handbag. "This was the last stage of paperwork."

"Congratulations, Azusa-san!" Makoto shouted, joining in. "You worked so hard for this!"

"Oh, I thought they'd axed it for good…" Ritsuko shook her head. "I'm so happy for you! It's going to do wonderfully. When does shooting begin?" she asked, turning to the president.

"Fall," he said. "Well, towards the beginning of September. So some ways off yet, but…"

"September…" Ritsuko's smile wavered slightly, but she quickly redoubled it. "Well, that's plenty of time to get ready, then!" Shigeru stepped past her.

He was standing visibly straighter, tense and puffed up with pride. "Good work, Azusa-san. Congratulations. Congratulations!"

"Producer-san..."

"Sorry I couldn't be there today. I know you can handle yourself, but..."

"Not at all, not at all! It all went smoothly, and that's what matters."

"Azusa-oneechan!" Mami burst out, "so – so you're going to get super big now, right? And rich and everything?"

"It's not like that!" Ritsuko snapped, having come down from her flushed excitement. "It's just another role, like any one of yours – it's just one that she's been trying very hard for, okay?"

"Ah, that's right," Shigeru said, looking back to the twins. "You two weren't here last year, were you? Many of you weren't, actually. Um, it's not much of a story, really. The project was proposed some time ago, but due to some complications it hadn't been set. Well, until now!"

Azusa giggled – the first unambiguously genuine smile Maya had seen from her so far. "Ah, Producer-san. You seem almost more excited than I am!"

The little group that was in-the-know about this – the last-year crowd, she supposed, shared a little laugh at that. But the twins and everyone else still looked confused, despite the sudden optimism.

"And! With all that said..." Takagi declared, looking around for a place to sit.

"Uhh… we did start eating without you, actually," Kotori beamed up at him, holding up the bento reserved for him. "Sorryyy…"

He took it. "You've liberated my shrimp, I see."

That one was a real group laugh.

* * *

"Hey, Ooyama-san. Do you have a moment?" Maya asked, once things had returned to a resting ambiance.

"Hm? Yes, of course," he said, allowing himself to be pulled away. "Haven't gotten a chance to check in with you in a bit, now that I think of it."

"That's true, that's true. There's a bench over that way, want to walk with me?"

"By all means."

They walked. "So. I was mainly curious about everything going on with Miura-san. This seems pretty big, and… I guess I just wanted to know more. Will things be changing much?"

He exhaled hard, visibly relieved to be able to talk about it. "Oh – oh, I hope so. Phew. I apologize, it's all still overwhelming for me."

She was passingly bemused, but let him talk.

"Well. Where to begin. I mentioned this has been in the works since last year, did I?"

"Yes. Did the process get dragged out?"

"In a way, yes. A lot of developmental work, several stalling points in negotiations… it was a surprisingly difficult process."

"What caused that? I mean – I've never really worked in movies, haha, so I'm not quite sure of what's needed for them… but what made it not straightforward?"

He hesitated. "Myself, honestly. I made a few bad decisions last year - I told you this was my first job of its type - and those miscalculations affected others. Long story short, the studio has had cold feet."

"About the whole film?"

"About Azusa-san. It was written for her, you know?"

"Like – with her in mind for the lead?" she asked, surprised. "That seems... very special, honestly. I haven't heard of many cases like that, especially for non-actors."

"Well, she's of course had a few roles before, in dramas and the like. So I _would_ call her an actor," he said, though Maya remained a bit skeptical. "But yes, it is a rather special case. That's part of why I've been so set on it."

"So… what were those miscalculations?"

"We – no, I, was… too greedy. I allowed us to get overextended, and…"

He trailed off. From the bench he looked up – at the swaying branches, at the families and couples passing by on the footpath. Really, have we talked about the cherry blossoms yet? A little cutting breeze passed by, and in the face of Shigeru's extremely serious and contemplative face Maya felt silly to still be shoving pickled mystery vegetables into her face from the bento on her lap.

"I'm trying to avoid the subject, I apologize." He finally spoke up again. "Have we talked about Idol Ultimate yet?"

"Idol Ultimate…" she mumbled, racking her memory. "Oh. Oh! That – that competition thing, right? I think I've heard of it, at least."

"Yes, the annual tournament. Akizuki-san and Azusa-san both entered last year."

"Mm, mm, that must be where I saw it. How did that work out?"

"The tournament is usually a rookies' game, honestly. One of the basic rules is that win or lose, no one can enter twice. You only have one year, one shot. So Azusa-san especially, having waited years to apply, when she was eliminated in the first round… many of the people we worked with lost faith in her. Many of our fans did."

"That's… that's really surprisingly harsh. Does that happen for everyone? It sounds like a terrible event, why did you go for it?"

"It depends on so much. Ultimate has launched careers; Ultimate has destroyed them. Again, getting through the qualifiers without even an official invitation had me feeling overambitious. I pushed them both to join, and I shouldn't have."

"Listen – I can't fault you for trying, you know? I, like… I obviously don't get the full dynamics around this yet, but if you were punished for ambition, that's a fault of the atmosphere. Not yours, or theirs."

"That may be easy for you to say, yes. And perhaps you're right, but that can only go so far in reality." He looked up. "I still remember the girl she lost to – someone from Tougouji Productions, I believe. They're friends now, haha, if you'd believe that. That's the kind of person Azusa-san is."

Maya didn't respond at first – this was hitting her a bit harder than she'd expected. She'd largely managed to put last night out of her mind, chalk it up to Takeda's standard concern and tendency to worry too much, but what could you do with something like this? She hadn't even registered it as important when she was doing her initial research – just another event on Azusa and Ritsuko's resumes.

"But - now look at me. I've gotten myself down again, only mentioned the bad parts. Miraflores-san - this movie is so important because it signifies such a second wind! We won't have to slow at all - and that's what I should have given her the first time."

"I see. You… you really have a lot on your plate."

"And so do you, it turns out. So," he said pushing himself up from the bench and looking conspicuously towards the rest of the group, "enough about me. See over there – Takatsuki-san seems to be on her own, and that seems out of character. I believe we should be heading back."

"You're right. Thank you again, Ooyama-san." Maya nodded, and took the assignment.

They made the short return walk together, and Yayoi was, sure enough, off on her own. Maya found her with her back against a tree trunk, on her phone with an ignored textbook in her lap.

"Yayoi-chan! Hey, what are you up to this time?"

She looked up, still hunched over the screen. "Ah! Maya-san! Did something happen?"

"Oh, nothing," she said, sitting down next to her. "You seemed to have wandered off, and I was wondering if you were okay."

"Oh! Um, yeah, I'm totally fine!" she nodded emphatically. "I'm just talking with my sister..."

"Oh?"

"Well um, one of my brothers... kinda got in trouble at school, and the oldest one has to make dinner tonight but can't go to the store now since he has to pick him up... so I have to make sure everyone's in the right place from here..."

"That sounds like a handful. Are you going to need to leave early today?"

She startled. "N-no! No, it's alright. I can't be home all the time, and everyone knows what to do..." Her eyes found Maya's, hesitantly. "So… you won't worry about it, right?"

"Of course I'm worried! It's my job to be worried," she said. "And if this isn't something to worry about, then that's alright. But if it is, we should talk about it, okay?"

"No, but, okay I mean I get that! That's really really nice of you. But stuff like this happens all the time, you know?" she said, continuing typing without even looking at her phone – how did kids manage to do that? "So it's just normal. But still."

Yayoi finally flipped her phone shut, not sure what else to say.

"Well, you still look a little worried."

"Really? Ehee... you could tell that easy?"

"Sorry, sorry. I don't mean to push."

She shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'm also thinking about work too, I guess."

"Which part?"

"Well, it's that..." Yayoi pulled at the grass next to her.

"That?"

"It's only that..." she finally dropped the hesitancy and laid into it, "Well, Ami and Mami already went on that one TV show a couple times, right? And Iori-chan got to sing at that mall thing, and now the magazine... I can't even keep track! So I feel kinda slow. Even though it's the start, like you said. And like..."

"Ah, I know," she sighed, leaning back on the tree trunk. "You know, Yayoi-chan, I really hate to have to ask you to be patient. But I'm sure that, with a little longer, we'll start moving too."

Yayoi wasn't all that moved. "Um, thank you. But it's not really... being patient. I can be patient! I can be suuuper patient, you know?" she insisted. "I... I'm just probably not as good as them."

"Not as good...?"

Yayoi frowned, turning to her fully with fists clenched in front of her. "Cuz! It's really been fun! Everyone says I'm getting so much better at dancing, and I can do all my songs perfect now, and, and! I just really wanna do something with it! So it's just. It's just a tiny bit frustrating..." She looked to the ground again, tracing at the blades of grass and dandelion leaves again. "Sorry to get all sad about it, Maya-san..."

Maya took a deep breath. "Well, I think the rest of the day might change your mind."

"Eh? Aren't we just walking around, though?"

"Hehe." She smiled at Yayoi, nudging her with her elbow. "We're actually going to be going somewhere! Somewhere pretty special, Yayoi-chan."

* * *

Well, that had been the idea. Some time later and it wasn't seeming very special yet.

"I'm _sure_ it's this part of town, I'm simply _sure_ ," Azusa said, puzzling over the smartphone screen. "Miraflores-san, could we be holding it upside down?

"What?" she said, shielding the screen from the sun. "I don't think so, I... gah, the streets are so dense here. Which way is north again, do you know?"

Azusa raised her head, and in one practiced glance noted the positions of the afternoon shadows. "That way," she said, pointing east.

"Thanks," Maya said without question, still completely baffled.

Azusa leaned in, zooming out and marking down a name she recognized. "Well, if we can only get to that building, we should be all right..."

"But that's in the opposite direction! And – oh jeez, how do you read this word, again?"

"This isn't working," Iori said, butting in between them. "We've been walking for hours!"

While it hadn't been hours, Yayoi and the twins were getting fidgety and impatient nonetheless. Iori was absolutely sure they had walked around the same block twice at one point.

"I'm so sorry, you guys," Maya said, thoroughly embarrassed. It was 2015! What good was all this fancy cell phone stuff if they still couldn't get something so simple right? "Listen, I-I'm sure we'll figure it out with a little more time..."

"Nee-chan..." Ami said, unimpressed, "we're getting kinda tired, y'know?"

"Hungry, too," Mami nodded along.

"Um, maybe we could stop somewhere?" Yayoi said from the fringes of the group. "And figure out a plan there."

So they found themselves at a nearby café.

Five minutes later the twins were happily halfway through their blueberry muffins and sat with Maya and Azusa, walking them through the basics of Google Maps with a surprising amount of patience. The day remained as ridiculously picturesque as it had started out as, and as Yayoi picked at her parfait and watched the others, she didn't know why she wasn't enjoying it as much as she'd expected to.

"How is it, Yayoi?" Iori asked from next to her, at the same wrought iron table outside the shop. Yayoi dipped back under the awning's shade to get the sun out of her eyes.

"Hm? Oh, it's pretty good... Iori-chan, have you been to this place before?"

"Hm? Like this cafe?"

"Yeah! It seems like you know a lot about it. You ordered so easy and everything." Iori had been first in line, and effortlessly rattled off an order that seemed to last an entire thirty seconds. Yayoi was still thinking about it.

"Well, it's nothing special really." she shifted, idly stretching in one long shrug. "Cafes all pretty much have the same stuff. So once you find out what you like, you can order it anywhere as long as they get it right!"

"Eeeeh… that's so strange… all the stores I go to have their whole own things, you gotta like study them before you go."

"Hmmm. Like, to find deals and stuff you mean?"

"Yeah! And specials, and specialties. It's nice to take the time to get to know them, or else it just feels weird."

"That makes sense, I guess. I can't relate too much, though."

Iori waited, letting Yayoi steer the conversation out of small talk territory. She seemed extra quiet today.

Yayoi had another spoonful, chewing deliberately. "Hey, Iori-chan… do you know where we're going, after all?"

"Hm? No, she didn't tell me either." She thought for a moment, mid-sip. "Oh, but the place on the map was a concert hall, you know? Like a real venue."

"Eh? Then, are we gonna be watching something?"

"I don't know! She wants it to be a surprise, remember?" She rolled her eyes. "She thinks keeping us in the dark about it is clever."

This did not help Yayoi's confidence. Iori leaned in conspiratorially. "But, you know what I think?"

"…What?" Yayoi said, hesitantly.

" _I_ think it's like a field trip! Remember how she mentioned she wanted to start getting us concert jobs?"

She perked up. "Mm, mm, of course! But – but isn't it too early for that?"

"Well, maybe," she shrugged. "When we were at Ritsuko's live it was all crowded, but I think this one is going to be empty. I bet she's going to, like, show us around the stage and stuff, and see how everything works."

"Like the lights systems and everything?"

"Yeah! And the sound, and all the equipment – everything!"

"Aaah! Are you sure about this?" She bounced in her seat. "That sounds so exciting! So we have a chance to get used to everything and know what things do…"

"Yeah!" she said, proud she had explained it so well, but then thought about it again. "Well, I'm not totally sure. She could just be dragging us around for no reason, or it might even be someone else's concert. But I don't think she's _that_ stupid."

"No, no, it makes sense! I bet you're right, it all sounds right!"

"Nihihi, doesn't it?" she grinned, grabbing Yayoi's hand across the table. "We'll just have to see! Now eat faster, alright? They might finally figure out how to get there sometime this week!"

"Pffhaha. Fine, fine! Alright, here I go then!"

Yayoi began wolfing down the parfait, and Iori smiled and quietly finished her own coffee. And, sure enough, in a few minutes the twins were calling them over and they were back on their way.

* * *

 _5:30PM_  
 _Zapp Hall_

It was another ten minutes of walking before they finally made it to the place – right on time, even after having wasted an hour. Maya collected everyone into a group from about half a block away, in full view of the building.

"Well, you guys! Here we are. So, again, I mentioned that today was pretty important, right? So we brought Miura-san along because she has some history with the place. Would you like to explain?"

"Yes, I'd love to!" Azusa said. "This was actually where Ritsuko-chan and I had our first combined live together. It was… my, two years ago?"

"Right. So, I was figuring… this was as good of a place as anywhere to start. So, I won't keep you in the dark anymore. We have a really big announcement today."

She waited for everyone to be ready to hear it. "Alright – on May 22nd, the twins' birthday actually – you're all having the same kind of combined live, right here."

Yayoi was the first one to burst out, "Wait, _really_?" The announcement took a moment to sink in, but everyone reacted essentially the same way.

"Yes, really!" Azusa said. "Hehe. Part of the reason the president came with me today was to work out the details. It's quite confirmed."

The group was still in shock. Even Iori, who had been the closest to guessing what was planned today, wasn't quite expecting this.

"So – so, nee-chan, we get to go in and everything today? And like see everything?"

"Exactly," Maya smiled, and looked over her shoulder. "Ah, Miura-san, that's the staff guy who's letting us in. Should we head over now?"

They crossed the street, the twins practically running, and made all the right introductions and finalizations. Once the doors were unlocked and all the backstage stuff in order, they were essentially given free rein to wander. Maya and Azusa led the group through the lobby and towards the main stage, Azusa happily looking around and Maya still fumbling with the new stack of papers she'd acquired – the four girls hung back slightly, none of them yet willing to barge on ahead.

"And," Maya said, pushing open the set of double doors, "here's the stage you'll be on!"

The stage loomed in front of them. From across all the dark rows of seats a spotlight or two fell on the stage, that and a few ambient lights recently turned on by the same staff guy. It was a real, proper mid-sized stage – a year ago she wouldn't have blinked at it, but for now it looked absolutely massive even to her.

"Waaah! All this is gonna be filled up?" Ami yelled, already starting to run through the aisles. The place yawned above them, and her voice was loud enough to win a slight echo.

"That's like a thousand people! A million people!" Mami said, shooting past with arms outstretched.

"You guys!" Yayoi called, "Come back here, don't run off!"

"No, no. It's okay," Maya assured, "the more perspectives you get to see the better."

"Really?" Yayoi asked.

"Yep. I figured we should get a good, long look at it from the audience's point of view. Since this is where they'll be seeing you from, you know?"

"Oh! I get it now! So we can tell where we'd be when we're on stage, right?"

"Yes." Maya leaned back on the railing. "So, is this a good view of everything do you think?"

Ami answered for everyone, far off at the very foot of the stage. "Yeah!"

"Great!" She looked around herself, it was her first time here in person too. "I'm glad they were so generous about access, phew..."

"Oh, that was really loud," Mami said from another distant part of the hall, and then yelled back. "Nee-chan, can you hear us from here?"

"Yeah," Maya called back. "See how the sound carries?"

"Oooh!" Mami shouted. "You're right!"

After a couple more educational shouting matches, Azusa finally called them back and they were in one group again. Ami pushed forward again with Mami just behind, "So, so, nee-chan! What's the big live going to be like!"

"Yeah, yeah! Are we gonna have to practice for it?"

"Of course we have to practice," Iori said, frowning and looking to Maya to back her up. "A lot! There's going to be a whole schedule and choreography, right?"

"Yes," she nodded. "But – there's a few choices we need to make before we get there."

"Hm?" Yayoi asked, in between Iori and the twins tching at each other. "Like what?"

"Well, first of all, before we start planning anything else – we'll have to settle on a center, right? A leader for the whole thing."

"Oooh, that makes sense! So like a boss?" Mami asked.

"Like a president?" Ami asked.

"Aha, no, not a boss at all..." Maya said, humoring them but beginning to explain seriously. "Really, the center's role is to be just that: the center of the group. They'll be in front, of course. But it's their job to make sure everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing, and it's also their job to hold the audience's attention more than anyone."

"So it's a lot of responsibility," Iori chided the others.

"Yes, it is. And I do have someone in mind, so I wanted to hear what you as a group thought of the choice…" she waited for the nods to pass around and continued. "Yayoi. how would you feel about it?"

Her smile froze as she looked back blankly. "Eh?"

Iori immediately stood up straighter, blinking. "W-what?"

Yayoi turned to her, instantly forgetting her own surprise. "Oh – did you want to be the leader, Iori-chan?"

She panicked, stumbling to answer properly. "N-n-no, not at all! Yayoi, it's perfect for you, alright?"

"Ehe... really?" Her worry melted right back into a smile. "Ehehehe... that makes me really happy to hear, Iori-chan! You really think I can do it?"

"Of course I do!" she insisted. "Y-you remember what I told you before, right?"

"That you're my first n' biggest fan? Yeah, well –"

"Don't just tell them about it!" she said, surprised that the twins were looking on curiously instead of the smirking uhuhuu routine she'd expected from them. "But we all are! So yes, it has to be you, and you can totally do it if we're there too!"

"Yeah, Yayoicchi!" Ami said. "You get to do all the work!"

"Oh, okay okay!" she said, not even trying to hold back excitement. "Fine, Maya-san, I'll absolutely do it! I'll do it really really well!"

Azusa spoke up from where she'd been observing the conversation. "Hehe. You've ended up with a good group, Miraflores-san."

"I'm very aware," Maya smiled. "So! In the next few weeks we'll be going over the live plans and choreography, like Iori-chan mentioned. It's going to be a lot of preparation – more than we've ever had before, honestly – but I know we're ready for it. Concerts are the bread and butter of this entire job, right?"

"I should hope so," Iori said.

"So this might be a smallish one, but it'll teach you so much! I think – I think this is where we really start, your first big opportunity to show people what you're made of. So are we all ready?"

They answered as one, "Yes!"

"Great. Then, I think we should start on the actual tour right about now."

They milled about, the twins pushing in with questions and Azusa happily obliging. Even Iori was impressed, so much so that she didn't even think to find something to criticize before they headed backstage. She held the bannister overlooking the whole thing, leaning forward in the grey glow of distant spotlights.

Yayoi joined her, grabbing her arm as she rushed up. "Iori-chan! We'll look so small up there, don't you think! Like when you're in a plane..."

"No we won't," Iori said with conviction, shaking her head. "We'll look like the biggest things in the whole world."

* * *

They'd stayed out longer than expected. Yayoi and the twins had split off as they'd left the venue, and gone to a sleepover at Yayoi's house that Ami and Mami had unceremoniously invited themselves to. Yayoi had been excited about it, too – she was still riding high on the concert discussion and excited to introduce them to her family. Iori had, she explained, been familiar with them since the year she and Yayoi had met, and she certainly wouldn't be allowed out that much later on such short notice on her own, even if she had wanted to go.

So she and Maya had taken the train back as usual, and were about halfway through the walk to the office. The last blue traces of sunset had finally faded, it had been dark out for some time, and it was another brisk spring night in the city.

"I've never been out so late, I don't think..." Iori said, her eyes on the clouds.

"Really?"

She bristled. "Well, I mean while I've been at this job. Don't be silly."

"I got you, I got you." Maya hadn't really noticed – she'd put in probably too-long hours here before, again for lack of things to do outside of work in the first place. Staying late was a way to prove to herself that she was actually starting to accomplish something.

"Of course I'm ready for it later on, though," Iori continued. "Obviously my time is going to be at a premium soon, and everything cool happens at night, right? And I want to take as many opportunities as possible then."

"That's what we're hoping." Primetime, huh. "You're looking forward to it, though? Did today help?"

"Yes! I told you, it's the kind of thing I've been telling you to get for me this whole time... you're not so bad after all, you know that?"

"…That means a lot, coming from you."

"Well don't get full of yourself either. You'll embarrass me if you keep trying to fake being confident." She smiled regardless, satisfied that Maya had done well enough to be permitted a small mistake or two. "Well, either way! By the time the actual concert's here we'll have our new songs, and a bunch of fans, and it'll all sync up perfect!"

"See? Now that we have cards to play, we can start planning more."

"It really seems like I'm getting somewhere! Even if Yayoi is the one who it's mostly for."

"Um – sorry, that's not how I wanted it to come off. It's a group live for a reason! I just thought…"

"Hm? Well of course as soon as you announced the concert I thought you were going to go with me," she snapped. "But it's alright. You made the right choice, and you'll have plenty of opportunities to make it up to me. Right?"

"That's – that's absolutely right!" she said, letting a deep tension finally leave her. She had been expecting to get yelled at about it, but Iori had taken it very well.

"Nihihi, it better be!" she grinned, looking towards the sky again. "Ah, finally we won't be so slow..."

"Has it seemed to be going slow to you?" She knew better than to start making excuses here, but really – she'd been pushing herself quite hard lately. She'd thought this most recent victory might have proved that, but clearly she hadn't measured up fully yet.

"Of course!" Iori said. "You know, when you first started here I expected things to move a lot faster, but I guess I was making a lot of assumptions, too... So I get it now, how much work it is."

"That's very..." – this was becoming a favorite word of hers – "professional of you."

"Nihihi, don't you think? Especially since I'm making such an effort to be nice to you and all."

"You are?" That was news to her.

"What? No, that's not what – I'm just being more understanding, okay?"

She turned to stomp ahead but only made it a few steps before her phone began to ring and startled her. Ringtone was the trumpets that opened _Watashi wa Idol_ , Maya couldn't help but notice, before it cut out.

"Oh, give me one sec," she said, and picked up. "Super idol Iori Minase speaking, h– oh, Shindou! ...Well we're not there yet, um... Can't you... okay... fine. You know the corner by the bridge? Mm, that one. Ok. Hurry then!" She hung up.

She'd slowed down. "'S-super idol'…?"

"Impressions, Maya," Iori explained, patiently. "Also, he's already at the office so I told him to meet us somewhere closer. So we don't have to walk so far. Here," she said, grabbing Maya's arm, "there's a shortcut through this way, come on!"

Maya did keep forgetting she had a chauffeur. Iori dragged her down a side street, towards a wide pedestrian walkway across one of the city's innumerable canals. No trees here, really, but even so the wind had swept little dunes of petals across it, slumping up against the curbs and benches. Stepping out from the more crowded streets, the first thing that struck her was the light.

The moon was wildly full. Painterly, even, over the water. Somewhere between the thick trees and omnipresent buildings she hadn't actually gotten a chance to look at the sky since it got dark, which made it a more jarring realization than it would have been otherwise.

It was pretty empty – seemed like not too many people came this way. She could only see a single girl towards the middle of the bridge, in a long purple coat and too far away to really make out.

"Ahh… this is so refreshing, huh? I love this place," Iori said, breathing in deep.

"You pass by here often?"

"Mm!" she nodded, absorbed. "Y'see, when I'm coming from school I have to get off at a different stop, and it takes me right past here. Pretty, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." It was a nice spot. Out of the way, carless, lined with white globe streetlights and the occasional vending machine. "It suits you."

"Doesn't it, doesn't it?"

As they made their way across and began nearing the only other figure along it, Maya noticed she was mumbling something to herself. They were just far away enough for it to be indistinct, and as they finally began to pass her… it became clear she was crying?

Maya waved over, worried despite herself. "Hey, um. Are you okay?"

"What? Don't _talk_ to her, seriously?" Iori hissed at her side, but it was too late. They'd already been spotted.

"Who goes –" the girl jolted back, raising her hands before her in confused surprise – she hadn't realized they were there until now. "Oh! I –"

She was a tall girl. Her light, wavy hair seemed practically silver in the rare light, and she was completely motionless with a muted short of shock. It was as if she had been caught somewhere she wasn't supposed to be, and was at a loss as to how to explain herself.

"I – I didn't mean to bother you or anything, just..." Maya had no idea what to say next.

She seemed to have collected herself somewhat, turning away and surreptitiously wiping her eyes. "I – I deeply apologize. Letting you see such a face..."

"Hey, it's okay. Are you lost? Or hurt?"

"In... in a manner of speaking," she said solemnly, taking a breath. "In truth, we are all wounded, in our own ways..."

What.

"Hmmm." Iori leaned in, still kind of trying to steer Maya away but interested despite herself. "So are you lost or something?"

Not an unreasonable assumption. There weren't many girls around here who looked quite like that, and her hesitant manner was throwing Maya off.

"Oh, not at all. I... I have a relative idea of where I am. Really, I'm terribly sorry again to... to..." she trailed off, looking to be on the brink of tears again.

"Hey, hey, come on," Maya pushed. "Do you need to come sit down? There's some benches over that way, if you need to…"

But she seemed collected now, and answered with a long wary look. "You… you don't seem to be reporters or the like… still, you shouldn't sneak up on others like that!"

"You were the one standing there," Iori broke in, baffled. "It's your fault you didn't notice us, right? We were kind of obvious."

"And... reporters?" Maya asked.

"It's no matter." the girl stiffened, finally pulling herself together and setting her gaze hard. "I'm quite alright. Thank you for your concern, but I assure you I'm fine; the moment has passed."

"I... I see."

"I appreciate your consideration. To think that there were still people like you in this world..."

"Uhh, listen," Iori said. "It's not like we were going out of our way to help you, okay? You're going to scare someone out here."

"Ufu. I assure you – only a certain quality of human would have stopped along this evening road. Your kindness is much noted."

"We – we're not being 'kind', alright? I still don't even get what's going on..." she said, quietly kicking Maya's foot as an aside.

The girl in purple only smiled again, standing up straighter.

"Well, um," Maya said, now thinking maybe they should have kept moving after all. "If everything is alright, we'll be going…? You can get home okay, right?"

"A moment. Tell me –" she said, facing Iori. "Do I know your face from somewhere?"

That gave Iori a second of pause, and her eyes slowly lit up with incredulous hope. "Um – um – um! W-well! Now that you mention it, it's not impossible! Hahaha! Oh, it's so great to meet you! Where do you think you saw it?"

"Ah." The girl continued looking down at her, but that spark of recognition she had faded. "My apologies – I was mistaken. It's only that you remind me of a person I know. Once again, I apologize for taking your time tonight, and I bid you good evening."

Then, without another word or formality, she glided away in the direction they had come from.

Iori watched her go for a moment, mouth still open. And then it hit her.

"Kiiiii!" she screeched, clutching her hairband in shock. "Can you freaking believe her, what was all that about!"

Maya continued watching her walk away. "That was really weird, yes."

Iori stomped off again. "Ugh! She got my hopes up for nothing! You thought so too, that she saw the magazine?"

"It seemed a weird coincidence if she hadn't, yes. Got my hopes up as well."

"So weird… so freaking weird… you can't go around talking to strangers here, okay Maya? You never know what kind of suspicious freaks you're going to run into."

That seemed like her line. "Well… thank you for the concern, I'll keep it in mind."

"Oh, and also!" she demanded. "Why'd you stop for her after I said not to?"

"She seemed like she was in trouble, Iori-chan. I was worried, and if she really had been, we couldn't have just left her there."

Begrudgingly, that did sate her a bit. "Ugh. Alright, I guess you're right. Still, I'm not taking any more backroads with you." She looked up. "Oh, and we're almost there, so start saying bye now."

They were still another thirty seconds from the end of the bridge. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"Say bye!"

She blinked. "Right then, uh. Thanks for all your patience today, Iori-chan. I'm really happy you seemed so happy today, and thanks for understanding about Yayoi and everything. I'm so glad you all work together well, and I'm looking forward to it as much as you. I hope I'll have some more surprises on Monday, too!"

"I didn't ask for a speech, alright? Geez," Iori mock-complained, smiling anyway. "And it was fun, all of it. Just keep it up."

Iori stopped in front of her – they had apparently come to the car.

Alright. Aaalright. Not quite limo territory here but they were really pushing that boundary. "Well, Miraflores-san. Regardless. Um, thanks for your work today, and I'll see you Monday," Iori said, uncharacteristically brisk, and waved awkwardly.

"Yes." Maya followed suit. "Yes, uh, Minase-kun? Have a pleasant night, then."

Iori nodded, then climbed in and let the car door thunk shut. She didn't look out the window as Shindou gave a curt nod of his own to Maya, and no sounds bled in from outside as they began to move – just the hum of the engine stifled by the leather upholstery. For two minutes they drove in silence.

Shindou was a thin old man, with a classical droopiness to him. Chief butler of the Minase household, he had been with the family practically his whole life, and Iori very much considered him part of it despite the rather odd pair of roles they occupied. He was loyal to a fault, but unlike many of the other servants and attendants the family employed, he had always extended an equal if not greater share of loyalty to Iori herself rather than exclusively to the two heads of household he had seen in his tenure.

"Ahem." He was the first to speak up, and chose his words carefully in the closed space. "So. Miss Iori. That was the producer we've heard so much about?"

"Yes."

"I see. I do hope you're in good hands. Have there been any issues?"

"She's fine. Today was just normal. We picked up the magazines and went to see the venue for next month."

"And that managed to keep you out so late?" he asked with feigned nonchalance, craning his neck as they made a turn.

"Yeah, I guess." She continued glaring at the floor next to her. "Why?"

"I'm only curious. You know how your father worries."

She scowled at that one. "He'll survive, we already talked about it. But… has my brother been whining at you about it again?"

"Oh, no. Not at all."

"Really?" she pressed.

"Well. Master Ichigo did ask, in passing, if –"

She shot back less strongly than she would have liked. "Tell him to drop it already! Dad gave me permission, so he needs to get over himself. You have to put your foot down, okay? You promised."

"I understand. I will inform him you said as much, but…"

"He can't do anything about it, no matter how much of a fit he throws. He can't stop me, and he needs to understand that."

Shindou let that sit in the air. Iori, less tense now, finally looked up again, through the hard window to the city as it passed. One more day left of the weekend, and then she'd finally be at school again – she just had to get through tomorrow.

* * *

Once she'd seen Iori off, Maya hurried back the way she'd come – her own station was in that direction, and with some luck she'd run into the mystery girl again; while Iori had forgot about the encounter minutes after it was over, something about it continued to bother Maya. But even after two brisk jogs back and forth across the river (which nearly freaking winded her, embarrassingly), whoever it was seemed to have vanished.

So she headed home herself, still in an exercise-exasperated daze. She couldn't shake her mind into order – what she'd felt from the girl, what Souichi had been right and wrong about, what she still lacked. By the time the train pulled in to her home stop she had come back to some sort of center.

Ah jeez, but apart from all that – today felt like such a breakthrough! That walk to the car, despite all the weird drama, felt like the first _real_ conversation they'd managed to have! She was finally getting through! The more she thought about it the more excited she got, a kind of excitement she assumed was private until she started noticing the looks her weird grin was getting on the train.

She stepped gingerly onto the platform. She sighed and looked up, to see if that wild moon was still visible – but again it had gone missing just as quickly as the girl at the canal had, behind the low jumble of station walls, tree branches, and billboards.

Wait.

On her way to the exit gates, something tugged at the back of her mind. She turned back for a second glance at the billboard visible from the platform. It happened to be a massive advertisement for a certain music group's new upcoming single, one that she'd only glanced at each morning in the weeks since it'd been up... it was a promo for _Marionette no Kokoro_. Project Fairy.

...Was this a joke? Takane Shijou smirked imperiously down at her from the billboard, and it looked like she'd solved the mystery after all.

* * *

 _6 PM_  
 _Kuroi Tower, President's Suite_

Hiroki stood next to Matsuda, fidgeting; the president's presence remained incredible. How was he able to so exactly conjure the air of a principal's office?

Takao Kuroi flipped through the most recent report. "You're sure about all this?"

"Yes," Matsuda said, Hiroki stiff at his side. "This is all I could pull up."

"It's enough, it's enough." Kuroi sighed, continuing to read and pushing a hand through his hair. "That damn Takagi... how the hell did he find someone like this?"

Hiroki spoke up, aware that it was out of turn. "Um... pardon me. What's so dangerous about this one?"

Kuroi waved him off, not looking up from the page. "Some veteran... an American... involved with that one upstart record company... damn!"

"How worried should we be?" Matsuda leaned in,

Kuroi ignored him, continuing to scan the page. "And! He's working with the Minase girl? That – that can't be a coincidence. When did they pick up the _Minase_ girl, what?"

Matsuda nodded. "From… from what I can tell, late last year, sir."

"Last year..." he said, slowly moving hand to chin. "I was at a shareholder meeting with him last _November_ , I... hm. This could be worse than it seems. Matsuda."

"Yes."

"Go get Minase-san on the phone. I must ask him a few things."

Matsuda checked his watch and frowned. "I'm not sure he'll be reachable at this hour, but…"

"Mention my name, he'll answer."

"I'll try, sir." He swept out of the room

"Hirai," Kuroi shifted gears as the door thudded shut.

"Yes!"

"I'm giving this one to you." He tossed the packet of papers across the desk. "Still too small-time for me to worry about, but keep an eye on them. I want more reports like this, understood? I can't let this washed-up incompetent get away with… with presuming he has anything left."

"Yes. Yes, I can do that."

"I don't think we have to worry all too much, but… hm. I'd like monthly reports on their major activities. Any contracts they sign that seem notable to you, any significant announcements they make – significant by their standards, not ours. I'm not asking for anything untoward here, of course, but use… your judgment."

"So… just reports?"

Kuroi seemed a bit annoyed at that. "Yes, just reports, but try to get a picture of the place while you're at it. Anything that looks suspicious or out of place would be useful. Anything that could be a lead."

He still wasn't entirely sure what the president was asking, but that was fine. He rarely did, completely, but was good at figuring things out on the fly. "I understand. I'll do my best with this one sir."

"Good. Then that's all I need from you tonight, thank you."

Hiroki was about to leave, but something didn't sit right. He was a good employee. He was a loyal employee. And, while even he knew that his raw intelligence was not exactly why he had been chosen for the role, this all gave him pause.

"Um. President Kuroi?"

"Yes?" he asked, in a tone that made it clear he wasn't enthused by further questions.

"Who is this Takagi guy, anyway? I mean, I get this is important, but…"

He trailed off. Kuroi was fixing him with a completely unreadable look, and for a long few moments Hiroki was certain he had asked something off-limits – but, after seconds had passed, Kuroi had already softened and looked away, reoccupying himself with his papers.

"He's a man that once betrayed me. A former colleague. I'll spare you the specifics, Hirai, please just do your job."

"Yes, sir. I understand."

Kuroi nodded once, and Hiroki took the opportunity to scamper out of the room. The heavy ebony door closed behind him to a snippet of a phone ringing and the president greeting someone warmly before he was left alone in the lobby.

Matsuda was nowhere to be found. Hiroki headed back to his floor via the special elevator that ran to the top one, not really sure what to make of it all. One thing was certain: the president has trusted him with something that he clearly considered very important, and he wasn't sure if that was a bite he'd be able to chew yet.

He had some research to do. As he found his desk in the open-concept workspace that many of the producers shared, he was already bracing himself to dig into whatever degree of sordid history that Namuko agency had, however much of it hadn't been covered up. "Betray" was a strong word, and in relation to someone like Kuroi, with his kind of goals and ideals, was simply unacceptable. He snapped open his computer, already beginning to get indignant about it all, and Miki had changed his desktop wallpaper to herself again.

"Eugh, really?" a voice came from behind him.

He spun around to face the speaker – Shizuka Sanjouba, as it turned out. She was a light-haired and keenly professional woman with a slight playful air to her nonetheless, and one of the coworkers he had come to admire most here – mainly due to her achievements as Jupiter's producer, despite only being a few years older than himself.

"Sanjouba-san, good evening. Wait, uh." He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "Okay, this looks weird. But she keeps changing it, I'm not sure how she even gets in, l-like –"

"It is probably," she said, leaning over and snatching an incriminating post-it off the edge of his monitor, "because you keep leaving your password lying around? I could get you written up for that, you know."

"I… I see…"

"Not gonna argue?"

"Not if I deserve it. I understand," he lowered his head. "I won't make excuses."

She looked down at him for a long second. "Alright, alright. Just be careful. On both fronts."

"I understand."

She frowned. Shizuka was kind of unique in the company, given a lot of leeway by the president due to handling some of the few male performers, and certainly the most successful ones the agency had. Despite brushing shoulders with her frequently in day-to-day office work, he'd never gotten the best handle on her and still hadn't learned what to expect.

"You could afford to stand up for yourself a little, honestly. Difference between excuses and defending yourself. And, I mean," she said wryly, "I've had to deal with Ijuuin myself, so… I get it?"

"He, uh, presents similar issues?"

She laughed at that. "Jeez, you're so formal. But that's a way of putting it, yes. You have to be able to put your foot down, that's all, the sooner you manage to the better."

"I… I'll try."

She tossed her hair, "Anyway, be more aware of the position. If Hoshii can get into your computer I bet practically anyone could, and that's genuinely a serious security risk."

"I understand! I absolutely won't let it happen again!"

"Hahaha! Listen, I'm not your boss, alright? I'm not actually worried. Mainly telling you now so Matsuda doesn't have the chance to start screaming at you about it."

"Well…" he finally caught himself relaxing a bit. "Yeah, haha. I'd like t' avoid that if possible, yes."

"Gah, he's such a nightmare," she said, putting her notebook down and leaning on a nearby desk. "I really – really – don't envy you right now."

He was already changing his desktop back to the LA skyline he used as a default. "You're familiar with him?"

"Yeah, actually. Interned with him when I first signed on," she gave a little half-laugh, half-scoff. "I mean he's good at his job, Fairy's doing fine, great even. But… he's too harsh."

"That is how it looks. But, you know, I think it might not be that bad. The president's kind of the same, the whole tough love deal, and well – some people learn best that way. I know I do," he laughed, attempting to joke.

She gave him a certain look – not quite bemused, not quite pity, and too brief to be read anyway. "Sure, sure."

"Hey, listen, I've been meaning to ask," she said, standing up. "I have to head out now, still have a meeting left at the Shibuya branch. So tonight's not an option, but would you want to get dinner sometime? Uh, no pressure or anything, but I feel like I haven't got much of a chance to really talk to you since you've been here. How long is it now?"

"Uh – about six months?"

"Six months! See, see, I've been a terrible senior. So, if you're ever up for it, just…"

"No, yeah! Yeah, I'd totally be up for that. Um –" he looked away, frantically searching his phone calendar, " – does next Wednesday after work work?"

She checked her own. "Hmm. Yeah, alright, I… yeah, I can make that. It's a plan then?"

"Yeah. Great! Looking forward to it."

"Mm! And okay, I really do have to run. See you Monday!"

"Likewise." And then she was gone.

Well. That was a lot. Hiroki sat there a little longer, having completely forgotten what he had originally come here to do. He eventually stood up, paced two circles around the room, did one short little fist pump, and got back to work.


	6. Charles Donatello

_May 5, 7:20AM  
Namuko Productions_

April passed just as suddenly as it had begun. The nights had turned lastingly warm for the first time, and a rhythm was establishing itself – the girls were getting used to the new school year at the same time as they acclimated to the concert setlist, and it had been a surprisingly smooth road there thus far. Every day still had plenty of downtime for all of them, that hadn't changed, but Maya had managed to land a regular stream of work even if it wasn't a constant one. In a week or two they would begin the dress rehearsal process. Plans had been made, foundations established; things felt on track.

Of course, though, that kind of stability couldn't last forever. Fate and luck had their ways of throwing wrenches into the gears of anything, and you could never let yourself get comfortable too long. Markets could always change, funding sources could always be suddenly lost, fires could always start in the break room… worse than any of those, however, was one specific possible catastrophe drawing closer day by day, that she could simply not afford to chance: somehow messing up Iori's birthday.

But on the morning of, it was too late to change plans, and too early to start worrying, as she was already worrying about an email she'd gotten last night. The president had specially requested a short meeting with her this morning, uncharacteristically cagey as to what it was about, and now that she was here she still had no idea what to expect.

She wasn't used to seeing Takagi this early in the morning; even though he showed up before anyone else most days, you rarely saw him out of his office before noon. He sat down, the old chair sighing beneath him as he turned to close the blinds. "Thank you for being here, Miraflores-san. I apologize for any inconvenience."

"No, it's quite alright," she said. "I let the twins know I'd be running a few minutes late, but… they're used enough to the station by now that they should be fine."

"That's good, that's good. They're making friends there?"

She held back a shrug at that, "That's… well, heh, I guess you could say that. The show's staff do like them, and it certainly has helped our chances of getting called back. They're not doing too badly at all."

"Wonderful! Wonderful. Now, er…" he said, not yet breaking out of the small talk, "you'll be heading straight there after our meeting?"

She blinked once. Was beginning to get slightly nervous. "Yes."

"Right. Well, I had better get on with it then." He folded his hands and spoke more directly, "Miraflores-san. Shigeru tells me you recently happened to meet one Takane Shijou?"

That certainly woke her up. "Oh! Yes, we did speak about that. It was about a month ago, and it didn't feel important enough to bring up directly with you, so…"

"No, it's quite alright, I don't expect you to come running to me with every little thing," he reassured. "What did you think of her?"

"What… did we think?"

"Yes. Your impressions, if you would."

This was all such a baffling conversation that she couldn't help but go along with it. "Well... She was definitely a strange girl. It's hard to make assumptions after so short an encounter, I –" she shook her head "– I'm sorry, president, but could you tell me why you're asking this? The… situation was surprising enough, but I'm just as surprised at your concern."

"That's quite fair of you. How do I phrase this…" He looked down, frowning at his hands clasped on the desk, before beginning again. "The unit Project Fairy belongs to a certain agency that I have some experience with, and this seemed strange, knowing them. So, I was hoping that you'd be able to shed some light on it, if you'll humor an old man's curiosity."

"Well," she said, levelling with him, "as I said, I was surprised. Confused, to be honest. I looked into Fairy a little more when I got home that night, and the girl I saw on that bridge was so different from the one on stage... I almost suspected I made a mistake."

"But you didn't?" he asked.

"I didn't. It was jarring at first, but it was definitely the same person."

"And what did you think of Fairy as a whole?" he probed.

She reflexively thumbed the pages of her notebook. "Talented. Provocative. Very high production values, and a solid image in everything. If I can be honest, I quite admired it."

"I see. Tell me, Miraflores-san – in a perfect world, is that the type of project you aim to be involved in?"

She smirked, "Well, it's not exactly my choice, right? I don't really know how to answer that."

"Ah, I understand. But absent of any higher-up direction, if you had full creative control…"

"Even so, it still wouldn't be up to me. It would depend mainly on whoever I'd be working with, I can only do so much in terms of setting a direction. Although I do envy the billboards, I'll admit..."

"I see. I see. I may be prying, but..." He thought a moment and let his chair swivel to the side, as if she wasn't in the room. "After all this, could I ask a small favor of you? And then I'll let you go."

"Yes. Absolutely."

"Should you encounter that girl again… would you keep an eye on her? Reach out to her, even. Offer your support."

"Do… I'm sorry, do you really believe I'm able to?"

He looked at her sidelong. "I don't see why not. It's something you've proven you're able to do, as far as I've seen. I don't mean for you to track her down or anything, but just in case"

"That's… I have to say that means a lot. I wasn't expecting it. Um, thank you, Takagi-san." Where was this coming from? Iori now being old enough to get more serious jobs? Or had Maya herself done something to impress him? "It will take time, clearly, but if that's where you want me to aim – I understand."

Now he seemed like the confused one. "Aim?"

"Oh, I just assumed… that to see her again, we'd probably have to reach the level of Project Fairy, correct? Which is definitely some distance away, but…"

He paused. "Haha. Hahaha! Well, you could take it that way I suppose. That's… certainly a sizable goal," he said, shaking his head.

"Ah."

He met her eyes, "But if you, and they, are willing to aim there… then, well, it seems as good a target as any. But don't rush for my sake."

* * *

That had apparently been all he wanted from her today. She didn't know what to make of that entire conversation, but if nothing else it was yet another ominous hint about industry stuff apparently everyone else knew about already. She was getting tired of that, what did he even mean by "support"? But she didn't have the time to dwell on it today, and for now could only dart upstairs before heading out again.

She pushed open the door, grabbing the office car keys. "Otonashi-san! Hey, I'm heading out now, but could I ask you something?"

"Oh, good morning!" Kotori said, spinning around from her desk. "And certainly, what can I do for you?"

"Well, first of all – I left my present for today under my desk, would you mind hiding it for me? Sorry, I'm in a rush."

She nodded understandingly. "No worries, hmhm! Is that all?"

"Yes, that's…" she paused, almost thinking better of it, but asked anyway. "Actually, could I ask you for a little research?"

"Hm? Why yes, sure. What do you need?"

"Could you look into that one unit, Project Fairy for me? I'm trying to get some basic info on their members and history. This is just a personal curiosity thing, so I understand if it's a bit much, but I wanted to ask."

"Fairy? Well, yes, I could…" Kotori thought for a moment, and then frowned. "Wait a minute. Did the president put you up to this?"

"What? No, of course not. Like I said, it's a personal thing, and –"

"Cuz if he did, I'm going to have to have a long talk with him about unloading his own issues onto others, you know," she said, stern.

What was she even talking about? "No, I mean it! Listen, I was the one who brought it up with him! I can explain."

So she explained. The whole run-in with Takane at the canal, how strange it had seemed to her, and the talk she'd had with Shigeru and then the president. She got the sense that Kotori had stopped listening about halfway through though, and kind of trailed off.

"Is all that true? That's absolutely dreamlike!" She spun around in her chair, oblivious to the outside world. "A fated meeting beneath the full moon! A mysterious girl who won't explain her tears! Kyaaa, that's unbelievable, you're so lucky!"

"Lucky? Wait – what do you mean?"

Kotori shook her head vehemently, "I completely understand, I completely understand! These are completely normal feelings, Miraflores-san!"

"… _What?_ "

"Anyway, I can get right on that, leave it to me," she winked. "So don't worry! Now get out of here, you!"

She checked her phone, not even bothering to try and figure out Otonashi this time. "Ah, yes! That took longer than I expected, the twins might be there before me. I'll be heading out then!"

"Take care!" Kotori waved one last time as the door swung shut. "Fufu. So energetic."

* * *

The trip to the TV studio was a quick one – she'd gotten used to the route already. What had started out as a single chance appearance for the twins was quickly turning into something more as people began noticing the the half-intentional running comedy routine they constantly lived in. They were almost uncannily suited to variety shows, so much so that a few of the producers on the station's side had been talking about longer-term deals, just two months into their debut.

This wasn't all good, though. However much talent they had meant just as much training for what they didn't, and the twins still hadn't fully internalized what jobs really meant for them. She could tell they still thought of it as playing around in a lot of ways, even when they did put in effort. She made it to the dressing room to find them all finished with makeup and the like – there was only waiting around left to do before things went live in twenty minutes.

"Hey! Hey, sorry I'm late," she burst in.

"Nee-chan!" Ami jumped up from where they'd been chatting in front of the vanities, "Did you bring our breakfasts?"

She had, but she also spotted the heavy remains of snacks scattered around the room already. "Yes, yes, I've got them. You two all ready?"

"I mean, yeah," Mami said, taking her convenience store bento and supplementary bagel. Maya was beginning to think they insisted on sesame seed just for the mess factor. "There's not much to get ready for, though?"

"Yeah, yeah," Ami took hers in turn, staring up at Maya as Mami broke hers open. "And by the way, when are you gonna make our breakfast?"

"When… what?"

"Remember?" Mami said, mouth full. "You shaid nyu were gonna hook sometime."

"Well, you'll certainly have to ask in advance!" she huffed, hanging up her jacket. "Really, I don't understand why you two are so fixated on this."

"Nee-chan, you promised!" Ami accused.

She wasn't swayed. "I said I'd think about it."

"Cheh. Typical. She's hopeless," Mami stage-whispered to her sister, a stack of crumbs accumulating in her lap.

"Yeah," Ami whispered back, "It's like she doesn't even know the easiest way to a man's heart is through his stomach!"

"She'll never get to understand us…"

"Totally doomed…"

"No progress…"

"Oh all right!" Maya finally surrendered, crossing her arms. "If you two are really that determined, fine. But you have to stop mentioning it every morning, or there's no chance."

Ami shot up in a split second, beaming. "Eh, really?"

"Wow, nee-chan, you're so nice!" Mami said, bouncing while clinging to Ami's shoulder.

"Yes, yes…"

A knock on the door, and one of the technician guys peeked in with a clipboard. "Er, Namuko party? About ten minutes, we're getting ready now."

"Kay!" The twins shot up past her and were already into the hallway before Maya caught up. She sighed and began cleaning up all the plastic wrappers they'd left behind.

* * *

 _10AM  
Yentown Bookstore_

"But Producer!"

"Absolutely not." He was completely immune to her kitten eyes today and Makoto was at a loss.

"Come onnn!" she insisted. "How am I supposed to get something if I don't know what to get?"

A train rumbled past, vibrating the decorative vases in the window a bit. The bookstore was a small and kitschy one, nestled in a section of the shopping center that connected to the nearest station, and they were set to get right back aboard after this.

Shigeru thunked a book back onto the top shelf, and bent to find one on a lower one. "You still have a few hours left to think about it. But you will have to get something, regardless."

"Tch!" She stuck her hands behind her head, pacing in a show of not caring. "Why are we even making such a big deal of it, just for her? We never threw parties like this last year."

He was unperturbed. "We had half the number of performers last year. And we are certainly not doing it _just_ for her. We had a meeting about this, it's a new office policy we've decided on, for all of you. Remember Takatsuki-kun's?"

"Of course I remember Yayoi's."

"And you enjoyed that one perfectly fine."

"Yeah, well," she ground a sneaker against the corner of a bookshelf, "Yayoi doesn't hate me."

Shigeru continued speaking patiently, perfect composure. "Iori-kun can be difficult, you know that. But she does not hate you, and you've been making steps to smooth things over for some time now, haven't you? That's not something that can be done overnight."

She finally stopped wandering around and faced him. "But even if I want to, I don't know what to get. What would she even like? Nothing's gonna be good enough for her, she'd turn her nose up at basically anything. I don't have her kind of taste," she said, bitterly.

"Regardless, Kikuchi-kun, you would have to admit the worst possible situation would be showing up with nothing. That will win you no points," he said, still reading the most recent book he'd picked out. "She's started taking coffee lately, did you notice that?"

"Not really…"

"There's a Starbucks right down the walkway, right? By the elevators. You could get some kind of nice blend there."

She frowned. "Yukiho's already getting tea… so that would be stealing her deal."

"A book then? We're here already, plenty of choices. There must be something."

She glanced up at him from under her baseball cap. "Yeah, and _you're_ getting a book. So that's off the table, too."

"And if you were actually as disengaged as you'd like to seem, you would have gotten a gift card and been done with it." He turned a page. "You're being very considerate."

"If… if you say so…"

"I do. Now," he declared, finally closing the little green book he'd been flipping through, "I think I've found mine. Let's go pay, and we'll keep thinking."

They made their way out, and back to the train again down the pristine faux-marble floors. The car buzzed along and she stuck close to him, always keeping an eye out to see if anyone in the crowd recognized her yet – but everyone was on their phones, and, being honest, no one at the agency was at that level of public saturation yet. Ritsuko had been such a giggly mess last year, the first few times a fan managed to pick her out in a crowd, but even for her it'd been less and less frequent. All Makoto's rising numbers were still a drop or two in the sea that was Tokyo, and privately she was grateful for that.

Shigeru didn't talk much when they were out together. Well, maybe that wasn't right – he could talk plenty, but didn't often start conversations unless they were about work or particularly striking scenery they happened to pass. Why was he being so harsh today? Ah, but that was harsh of her to even think – he knew how to talk her through things really well, even if it was kind of an embarrassing process.

But why did she have to be the considerate one when Iori never was? Even if Makoto was the older one by a little, Iori always knew how to get under her skin – being the president's favorite, everyone falling for her forced cutesiness, even Miraflores-san, who they'd practically flown in special for her. Why did one have to be patient with people who were never patient in return, and didn't need to be?

They'd gotten to their stop by now, but Makoto was still absorbed in one extended pout even as they slowly rose to the top of the escalator. She sighed once and finally let herself look up at the approaching avenue, and the first thing she saw was a little shop above her directly adjoining the station. A florist's, tall stalks and pink flowers cluttering up the windows so that she could only catch glimpses into it as they moved.

"Kikuchi-kun, are you coming?" Shigeru asked, and she snapped back to attention right in time to step onto the sidewalk safely. "The radio station's only a block away."

It was a sparkling spring day, sun glinting off the mirror buildings and trees in fresh green. "Um, yeah, yes…" she said, but still lingered. "Producer, um… I think I thought of something."

* * *

 _10:30AM  
Channel ACE Broadcasting Center_

Maya perched on a folding chair, tapping her foot as the show played out. The twins were already more than used to the set and the crew, and continued happily chatting through commercial breaks just as they did on air. They were still officially guests here, playing sidekick to a goofy gossip review type routine, but the place was increasingly feeling like it belonged to them.

There were a few slipups, though – someone had accidentally left a paper cup on the table during one of the commercial breaks, which they quickly played off with an "Ueh! Now they know we're fakes, Ami!" "Mami, you completely ruined the magic of TV!" and a perfectly-aimed toss into a trashcan. They were a hit.

"We did so good, huh?" Mami said once the program was officially over, craning her neck to Ami as Maya helped tug her clip mic off.

Ami was still looking down, taking hers off herself. "Mm! Another perfect crime..."

"Good work today, you two. Have they been treating you okay here?" Maya asked, finally getting the thing unstuck and stepping back.

"Yeah!" Ami said, grabbing her hoodie from the back of the chair and promptly rubbing her stage makeup off on it. "They're super nice!"

"Ami, don't –" Maya said, digging out some remover wipes for them.

"There was that one guy, though…" Mami said. "What was his name? Matsutani."

"Mizukami," Ami corrected.

"Mitsuami."

"Oh, whatever!" Ami laughed. "The guy from corporate."

Mami broke off and looked up at Maya. "Nee-chan, what's 'from corporate' mean?"

"It means like… everyone's bosses, basically," Maya said. "The guys making decisions."

"Oh. Anyway, he was like, 'ohh, are you guys training to be idols or comedians?' So rude!"

"Yeah! Course we've been training, more than training!" Ami pouted. "And this kinda stuff is fun, too. But…"

"Yeah…"

"Like…?"

"Right…!"

It was incredible how much they could say to each other while saying absolutely nothing to anyone else. They made it back to the dressing room to collect their things once Maya had wrapped things up with the staff, and were about to head back to the office.

"Well. Speaking of idol training," Maya said, checking her phone calendar, "hopefully the concert will prove them wrong, huh? And I'm sorry I couldn't be there for the last two sessions, but I've been meaning to ask: how has practice been?"

"Really good!" Ami said.

"Yeah! We have _Kiramekirari_ pretty much down now, easy. You should see it!" Mami said.

"Mm, mm! Super easy. Yayoicchi's really good at teaching."

"Trainer-chan said we got it perfect last time!"

"That's… amazing, actually!" Maya said. "Wow, congratulations. It seemed really complicated, the routine we settled on."

"Nah, it's not really complicated," Ami said, shaking her head. "Just busy"

Mami was bent over, tugging her shoes back on. "Yeah. It's only Ami's song left that we still can't do right, really."

"Wait. What d'you mean, my song?"

Mami looked up, grinning, "Huh?"

"'Ami's song', you said." Ami was suddenly not smiling anymore. "I thought we said both were gonna be _our_ songs."

"Oh. Well, yeah," she said, sitting back up crossing her arms. "But like technically I mean."

"Technically I thought we were doing them together! We've been practicing at home together, right? And you didn't call it my song there..."

"Yeah, but…" Mami looked between her sister and Maya, finally realizing something was up. "Nee-chan, didn't you say? When we first got them, that _Start Star_ was technically mine and _Positive_ was technically Ami's? I'm only saying what you told us!"

Maya realized they never did come to a real decision on that. "Well. That was the idea we started off with…"

"See?" Mami said, satisfied.

"But we did decide to credit you both on your singles, remember?"

"Told you," Ami said. "That's how it is if you wanna get technical."

"Well – well jeez. I was just saying…"

Maya leaned on the door. "Alright. For now though, let's start thinking of all these songs as everyone's songs, okay? That's the point of this concert, for all of us to work as a team. Can we do that moving forward?"

"Yeah," they answered, still completely in sync despite pouting in different directions.

"And if we aren't satisfied with how things are technically, we can still talk about that. If we want to handle things differently than we are now, we can. But you two will have to agree on something yourselves this time, and," she risked a smile, "it'll have to wait for after the party today. Now let's get back for that, huh? We don't want to be late."

"Yeah," was all she got out of Mami, but than an "Oh yeah! Ami, you brought everything, right?"

"Well, yeah…" Ami couldn't hold back a smile much longer at that point, and jostled the bag at her side. "Argh, of course! Do you think she's gonna like it?"

"She'll love it! The most important ingredient is love!"

Maya relaxed as they fell back into their usual clip of chatter again – she'd apparently been worried about nothing.

* * *

 _3PM  
Namuko Productions_

Yayoi was on the warpath. She was taking the party as seriously as a veteran foreman on a rush construction detail, carting around stepladders and decorations and plates of cookies with unprecedented energy, even for her. "Ah, Maya-san! Ami n' Mami, you're back! Can you guys go help Azusa-san with the paper stuff?"

"Roger!" the twins responded immediately, running over to the decoration station that had apparently materialized at Kotori's desk.

"Yayoi!" Ritsuko straightened up from reorganizing the couches and dividers. "Let them rest a minute, alright? They just got here."

They _had_ just gotten there – Maya hadn't even gotten a chance to put her bag down, much less speak. She cautiously took a few more steps in.

"Mm, sure!" Yayoi chirped. "By the way Ritsuko-san, did you get that thing from the president's office yet?"

"I…" she stuttered – Ritsuko was not used to being ordered around like this, but had no choice but to take it. "Oh, alright, alright, I'm going now."

"Thank you so much!" Yayoi called as the door closed again.

She passed Maya as she dutifully headed out to the staircase, "Heh. Good luck, Miraflores-san." All Maya wanted was to find a place to sit down.

Yayoi was in full gear today. It must have been some combination of her newfound group leader spot and how impressed she had been at the little celebration they'd staged for her own birthday two months ago, but either way she was determined to make this one even more of a success. Almost the whole agency was here at once, something that again hadn't happened since March – she noticed Yukiho hurriedly but immaculately wrapping the last few boxes by the coffee table, and the only ones who weren't here yet were Shigeru and Makoto.

Before Maya had a chance to actually start following orders, the door slammed over behind her and Makoto almost ran her over. "Aah, you guys! I'm so sorry we're so late!

Shigeru followed her a moment later, "Ki – Kikuchi-kun! There was no need for that!"

She turned back indignantly. "But we're late, producer!"

"Late or not, we can at least go up the stairs properly!" He was practically panting. "Really… really!"

She ignored him, giving a brisk wave and a grin, "Maya-san, hey! So where can I start to help, tell me where to go!"

"We only got back a little before you," she admitted. "I'm as lost as you…"

"Makoto-san!" they'd apparently drawn the attention of Warden Takatsuki from her stepladder post with all the commotion, "You're right on time! Here, come take the other end of this from me, I'm almost done hanging it up. And Maya-san, why aren't you helping with the paper stuff yet?"

"I – I apologize, ma'am! I'll be right there!" Maya said, shooting the winded and completely baffled Shigeru a shrug of apology.

"Please focus!" Yayoi said, turning back to the wall. "She said she might be getting back early, and we have to be ready!"

Things came together, eventually. It was kind of incredible how much even modest decorations could transform the cramped little office, colorful and busy. After a texted warning from the president, who was currently out with Iori himself to buy them time, Yayoi finally managed wrangling everyone into readiness in only about fifteen minutes.

It almost went perfectly, but they heard the footsteps and chatting on the stairs come too early. They were suddenly directly outside and the light wasn't even off.

"Wait, wait, it needs to be dark!" Yayoi hissed, breaking formation and clicking it off herself at the very last minute.

The footsteps came to the landing and stopped. Stopped for a while, actually. The door opened extremely slowly, cautiously, so gradually that they completely bungled the timing on the surprise and only sprung it once Iori had been peering into the dark room for several seconds.

Yayoi finally figured out the switch and pushed everyone into a mass, confused "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

"W-what? What?"

"Happy birthday, Iori-chan!" Yayoi said, practically leaping into her arms. "You're finally here!"

"But... huh?" She was still blinking in the light, taking in the room. "You guys set this all up?"

"Of course!" Azusa said from the back of the pack. "My, did we actually manage to make it a surprise?"

"Did – did you know about this?" Iori demanded from Takagi, still halfway into the room. "You said we were just picking something up!"

"Picking up some fun, Minase-kun!" he said to a respectful lack of eyerolls. "Though this is more elaborate than I expected, but…"

"Well," Ritsuko said, with a bit of pride, "since the agency has grown so much lately, and since Yayoi's party in March was such a success… we've been talking about office birthdays being more of a big deal. It was definitely a logistical challenge to get everyone here at the same time, but –"

"Anyway, we're here now! So over this way!" Yayoi interrupted, dragging Iori over to the coffee table where everyone's presents had been gathered.

"W-wait, right away? At least give me a chance to get settled!" she protested.

Mami bowed deeply, sidling up next to her. "Your bag, milady?"

"Your jacket?" Ami said, mock-formally, not waiting for permission.

"Oh, fine!" Iori gave up and threw her handbag at Mami. "Just, fine, this.. you didn't need to…"

"Of course we needed to!" Yayoi said, practically pushing her into her seat. "That's the whole point of it!"

"Alright, alright!" Iori burst out, trying to swat away the swarm of people that had gathered around her, "H-here's what we're going to do! All of you get organized already and let's do this properly!"

Ami promptly slid behind her and grabbed one of the boxes at random, waving it around with some ominous rattles. "You heard her! So whose is this?"

"T-that's mine!" Yukiho said, trying to reach across the table. "Don't break it, don't break it!"

"Ahem! If I could have a moment," the president said, stepping in, "before we get too into things…"

"Oh," Iori said, suddenly quiet and sitting straighter. "Sorry."

"I'd like to present this recognition plaque, first of all." He'd apparently framed a little certificate thing commemorating her time at the agency, just the same as the one Yayoi had gotten before. "It marks an important step in your time with this agency. I hope you can remember it well."

"Thank you, president," she said, pretty pleased about the thing. "Can I hang this up at home?"

"Well, I don't see why not. And make sure it's somewhere visible, no?"

"Mm. You're right… And thank you for it, really!" She smiled to herself, and turned to the pile proper. "Now, where were we?"

Yukiho's turned out to be tea again after all, which she seemed to often default to – a fragile-looking ceramic container of a fragrant peach-and-orange blend. The twins had handmade a rather elaborate board game out of markers and construction paper, and the whole group spent a few minutes trying to figure out how it even worked before Ritsuko thought to hurry them along. Azusa's was a small makeup starter kit which Iori was a bit baffled at, and the next one she settled on was by far the biggest one in the entire pile.

Surprisingly, it ended up being Yayoi's. It was a modest but complete cookware set, rounded out with a pretty serious quilted apron. Iori was so taken aback by it that she almost seemed offended, and it took quite a lot of Yayoi's insistence for her to accept it.

Minutes later Iori was finally giving. "You're… you're really sure?"

"Yeah! My mom 'n dad 'n me all pitched in for it – you needa be able to take care of yourself, y'know! It's an important new phase and all."

"...Ugh, if you really mean it! Thank you, I'll… I'll do my best."

"Hehe. That's all you needa do, Iori-chan."

The smallest one was next, little more than an envelope. Makoto stepped forward stiffly, chin up, before she even asked.

"Um. That one's mine."

Iori glared up, not even opening it yet. "And?"

"Uhh. I-it's some plant seeds, see? Flowers, I mean."

"You got me seeds?" she asked, fishing out a little baggie of them and an attached care guide.

"Yeah," Makoto nodded, feeling a bead of sweat beginning to form. "It's for this thing called a christmas cactus? They, like, bloom once a year, and its…"

"A cactus," Iori said flatly.

She was trying hard to sell it. "It's really pretty if you treat it right! And it's easy to take care of, too, with a little work! So I thought you'd like being able to see it grow…"

"How long does it take?"

"I'm… not sure, actually..."

She shook the baggie skeptically before packing it back up. "Hm. Well, I guess… I can at least try."

"Y-yeah." Makoto stepped back again, feeling thoroughly stupid for even thinking of it – even Yayoi was shooting her a weird look. She could only fume; Iori had already moved on.

Iori sifted through the mostly-opened pile and settled on the biggest of the few that were left – a broad, thin rectangular one with a bow. For a split second her face snapped to complete, stark coldness, so brief and so well played off that if she had known the girl for any less time than she had, Maya probably would have thought she imagined it.

"A-and whose is this?" she asked, painfully sweetly.

Maya shuffled forward, tentatively raising her hand. "Ah. Mine, actually…" she offered.

But for now she was perfectly cheery again, "Wow Maya, thanks so much! I'm gonna save this one for last."

She swept it away, dropping it towards the back of the pile, and with her back still turned she took up two last ones left, from Shigeru and Ritsuko.

"Well?" she asked, ripping them open.

Shigeru went first. "Now, um. Iori-chan, ahem. I'm not sure if you're into this kind of thing, and excuse me if I've chosen wrong, but I thought you may find something of value here." She'd by now uncovered a black-bound book with a green framed cover – a poetry anthology of some kind.

"Always books with you, huh?" Ritsuko said, nudging him with her elbow. "You use that same trick on me every year."

"Yes, well – what's wrong with books? I've explained myself," he said, a bit miffed, but then a soft smirk crept onto his face. "And what about you, then? That looks like a book to me."

The twins snickered as Iori opened Ritsuko's, "Oh, fine! Honestly. Iori, it's a planner, alright? Here," she said with some put-on sternness. "Now that the school year's started you should be able to get good use out of this. And it's a high-quality one too, plenty of room to write. Especially after this big concert you're going to start having a lot to keep track of, so…"

"I get it, don't worry!" Iori said, relieving them both. "I'll get to every page of both, you'll see."

"Then that's everything then, right?" Yayoi asked brightly.

Iori looked around. "I think so… um… thanks, everyone. This was… kind of fun."

Yukiho spoke up, wavering but happily. "It was our pleasure, Iori-chan! I hope we can do this kind of thing more and more often, with everyone."

"So what happens next, huh?" Ami asked, hanging over the back of the couch per usual. "We don't have to go home yet, right?"

"Right!" Ritsuko said, clapping her hands and looking around the room. "Only one thing left, really. Shall we get into that cake, everyone?"

That improved the mood dramatically. Iori was finally allowed to stand and shot right up, and Azusa was looking around as if waiting for it to walk through the door.

No one moved, though. Gradually all eyes came to rest on Yayoi, who currently looked as if she'd just seen someone murdered in front of her.

"Aaaah, I knew it! I knew I was missing something! Iori-chan, I'm… I'm s-so –"

"Yayoi." Iori cut her off before she had a chance to tear up.

"…Yeah."

"Don't you dare," she said, walking over, "start whining! I don't care about that, alright?"

"But… b-but…"

"You're still worrying? What, did you wanna eat something that badly?"

It was like she couldn't tell whether to be worried for frustrated, "No, that's not what – Iori-chan!"

"A-ah, I get it, I get it!" she shook her head very empathetically and all. "Here, tell you what we'll do – there's that bakery down the street, right?"

"You're really not mad?" Yayoi asked, letting herself be led to the door.

"Of course not. Now let's go, let's go! It'll be even better this way!"

"Wait!" Mami yelled at the last moment, "We're coming too!" and after a moment's hesitation, Ami ran right after her. The four of them bolted out the door together, Iori in the lead, and let it slam shut.

The room was left stunned.

"Was… was that a good thing?" Yukiho asked no one in particular. "Are we still having the party?"

"That might have _been_ the party," Ritsuko sighed. She went right back to business mode with one check of her phone. "Now come on you two, we have to head right out again."

Makoto wandered over, eyes still on the door and face still slightly red. "They're so wild… but Ritsuko-san, do we really have to leave now?"

"Well, yes!" she said, arms crossed. "Aren't you the one who asked me to come along for advice?"

As Makoto started whining an answer to that and Shigeru and Azusa chatted happily over the remaining plate of cookies, Maya found the president in his corner of the room.

"President. Hey," she waved awkwardly. "Should I, um, go after them?"

"Should you?" he asked, unperturbed.

"Well, I thought… maybe I shouldn't leave them on their own?"

He smiled, and gave a short nod. "Sometimes it's best to let them have some time to themselves, don't you think? They can manage a few blocks and twenty minutes."

She acquiesced. "No, no, you're right. Sorry, I guess I'm a little antsy tonight."

"I understand. And besides, I get the feeling that Minase-kun may have been feeling overwhelmed by all this…" he said, nodding to the decorations still blasted across the room. "So don't feel any rush to go chasing her down."

Her brow crinkled, "Do you think so? I thought things were going well…"

"Even so," he said. "Now, I think it's about time for me to head downstairs as well."

She looked around the room, now with only Shigeru and Azusa left in it. "I'll follow you, then. Still a couple phone calls to make."

* * *

"Yes, correct. I can swing by tomorrow if that would… no, no, that really is all it is. Just some set order changes, and I'd like to go over lighting again..."

Maya had gotten in the habit of going down to the third floor whenever she needed to focus. She'd probably picked it up from Yayoi, actually – the little meeting room with its whiteboard and open view outside suited her, and she had commandeered it as a makeshift office. Fielding long phone calls and sorting out diagrams for herself on the board would have felt like showing off if she tried it upstairs, so this let her be a little less self-conscious.

But all in all that was the last bit she had to deal with tonight, and she wrapped up the call. Just over two weeks until the concert.

She packed her things up and headed back upstairs, making sure to close the doors quietly so as not to disturb the president, who had retired to his own office by now. Kotori was still upstairs as expected, but less expectedly, Iori was there as well.

Iori glared up at her once and immediately went back to the book Shigeru had gotten her, without a word of acknowledgement. Maya noted that she was already at the halfway mark with it, which likely meant she'd been flipping through instead of properly reading. She heard like five page turns at once.

Should she really still be here, hadn't she mentioned a whole second celebration back at home? Either way – she couldn't exactly butt in at this point.

"Otonashi-san."

Kotori wheeled around, hastily finishing one of the leftover cookies. "Miraflores-san. Welcome back, welcome back!"

"Everyone else headed home? Still seems pretty early."

"Yes, I believe so. Ooyama-san is with Makoto-chan for a CM shoot, and Ritsuko-san tagged along… nothing else in particular I can remember going on now. Can I do anything for you?"

"Yes actually, I just got off the phone with the Zapp people, and –" Kotori wasn't even pretending to listen, instead making weird gesturing motions with her head towards where Iori was sitting. Maya took the hint. "Um. Well, now that I think of it. Could I ask in the morning?"

"Yes, that's no problem at all!" she beamed. "Now, the president's asked to borrow me downstairs, so if you don't mind…"

"Right," Maya said.

Kotori slipped out with another one of her winks and Maya steeled herself. Took a bit more time than was necessary bringing her things back to her desk. But, with a long silent sigh and a let's-get-it-over-with-already, she finally walked over to where Iori was sitting.

Iori remained in her book, but tensed up.

"Hey, Iori-chan. You got back alright?"

"Looks like it, huh?" she said, theatrically turning over a page.

"How was the bakery?"

"It was good. We already ate, though. Everyone went home."

"That's nice! That's nice, I hope you guys enjoyed it."

"Mhm."

Maya had a slight guess as to what was up. "Um. I was wondering... did you ever get a chance to open my present?" She hadn't gotten around to it during the main event, and even now it laid off to the side untouched, ribbon still on.

"No." She turned another page, viciously.

"I – I see." She hadn't been expecting to run up against a shoulder quite so glacial. "Here, tell me what's wrong. If I did something, let's talk about it."

"Nothing's wrong, and I don't want to talk about it."

"Iori-chan. Clearly something's up, come on."

"Oh, go away already!" she said, loudly shutting her book. "Stop talking to me like that! And it's not like I even needed to open it in the first place."

"…You didn't?" she hazarded.

"No. It's some nice expensive dress, right? The box shape makes it obvious."

"Well…" Maya would not have exactly classed it as expensive, but she was right. "I guess you could say that. I thought that –"

"Well you didn't think enough," she said, still refusing to look at her. "I get these every single year from people who don't know who I am. It's like they think I'm a doll, and the best they can do is dressup."

"Iori-chan…"

"Don't interrupt me!" She snapped, but then composed herself again. "I wasn't really expecting anything else, anyway. Thanks again for the present." She opened her book again.

Maya edged closer to the table, desperate. "Iori-chan, no… um… alright, it might not mean much at this point, but there was a second box in there that I wanted to… well, I'm sorry."

Iori finally looked up with a suspicious but faintly surprised glare. "What?"

"Sorry," Maya said, too nervous to even stand properly. "I should have been more up front about that one, I didn't want to… well, I wasn't thinking, I…"

"What are you talking about? Say it properly."

She forcibly calmed herself down. "Well, the dress was only half of it. I got you two things, so…"

Iori carefully put down her book, leaning over and digging the box out of the small pile. She undid the ribbon and, sure enough, it was exactly as she'd predicted – but after some shuffling she sure enough around found a second, smaller package hidden in the folds of fabric.

She opened it. For a few long seconds she didn't say anything, only stared. "What is this?"

"I… I thought… aha, I apologize, I didn't mean…"

"Are you serious?" It was a tiny replica of the real dress, made perfectly to scale. She held it up, not sure what to make of it. "Did you make this yourself?"

Maya only nodded, face averted and flushed. "Mm. I… I thought it would be nice to get something for your rabbit too, since you're always… carrying her around and everything…" God, what was wrong with her? This had probably come off as so weird, what had she been expecting?

Iori was unimpressed. "Charles is a _boy_ , first of all," she informed her.

Aghhh, he even had a name on top of that. She didn't have a response for that one.

Iori thought for a moment, still unreadable. "But I guess he'd be okay with wearing one. Alright," she announced, packing up both boxes again and standing up. "Stay here, then. We'll see."

Iori swept off to the bathroom before she had a chance to say anything.

Maya promptly collapsed onto the couch. She almost wished Otonashi was still upstairs so she'd have someone to commiserate with, but no luck. How did this job so consistently make her feel like she'd just run a marathon?

Iori was back in a moment after changing. It was a simple pink and black layered affair, enough to be brisk and professional with the right cardigan but respectably elegant on its own, and Maya was privately overflowing with gratitude that her involvement with all the costume stuff meant that the measurements had been perfect on the first try. Iori flourished, showing off the pattern. "Well?" She peeked up, waiting for a response.

"Aha!" Maya coughed. "I'm glad I got it right…"

"That's not what I was asking," she said, before readjusting her pose. "… It looks okay on me, right?"

She jolted forward, "O-of course! It absolutely does! I wouldn't have gotten it if I didn't think it would."

Iori glared. "…And?"

Maya finally remembered her lines, "It's pretty, Iori-chan, you look wonderful. You are an idol, after all."

"Right?" she piped cheerfully, straightening. "It's… well, it's not that bad after all. I'm surprised."

"I'm so glad you like it. I really didn't want to mess things up like this…"

"Well you _did_ mess up," she said. "But I guess – I guess I can say thank you here. Just don't scare me like that again!"

"I understand. I should have thought it over more, and –"

"I mean it! I have to try so hard today, every year! I have to be nice and quiet and perfect and I just… I didn't want more dresses from people that actually matter."

Maya shifted forward, looking up at her. "Iori-chan, listen. I promise. I still have so much to learn about you, you know? There's a lot of things I don't get yet, but I want to. And next year, I promise I'll do it better. Something special."

Iori glanced up. "…Next year?"

"Well," she said. "Yes. Next year."

"Next year, then. You promised." Iori took a breath, blushed slightly, and held up her rabbit in front of her face – wait, Charles, she'd have to remember. The miniature dress thankfully fit him fine, as well. "And to be clear, this year's _was_ special, okay? Barely. So that means it's time you two get introduced properly."

"I'd be honored."

Iori stuck one of his hands – paws? arms? – out, embarrassed enough by the whole procedure that she wasn't quite able to make eye contact. "His name's Charles. Charles Donatello the Eighteenth."

"It's a pleasure to finally make the acquaintance, Mr. Donatello," she said seriously, shaking his hand (?) as she was evidently meant to. "Sounds like quite the pedigree. How long have you had him?"

"We've been together since I was really little. He's been my best friend since before I even met Yayoi, or – or anyone, and…" she faltered, and asked more directly. "Are you making fun of me?"

"N-no! Not at all!" Maya panicked a moment, but collected herself and said it frankly. "Iori-chan, look. He's important to you, right? You just told me."

"Yeah..."

"Then something… some _one_ that important is nothing to laugh at. No one else in the office is laughing at it, and I'm not going to either."

"Well people _do_ laugh," Iori said.

"Like who?"

"My family… and I can't bring him to school anymore. Makoto, too, one time..."

"Yeah, well, for Makoto-chan at least – what does she know? You guys get into arguments all the time, it was probably to get a rise out of you."

She fidgeted with the hem of the dress. "She can be mean. You just haven't seen it. Seriously, even today, cactus seeds? What the heck was that supposed to be?"

Iori seemed genuinely hurt. Maya thought a moment. "You know… she was the last one to get here today, when we were setting things up."

"Ugh. I totally knew she was going to be," she said, vindicated. "See what I mean? I told you she's always like that, always… always…"

"But she probably did the most work out of all of us, to set things up," Maya said. "Seriously. You can ask Yayoi, or anyone – as soon as she got here she was falling over herself to start helping."

"…What? Why? Why would she do that?"

"Oh, I don't know," she said, smiling but not pushing it too hard. "Maybe she just has a bit of trouble getting her feelings across the first time."

She turned that over for a few seconds in her head, somehow even more annoyed with her after this news. "But… well… oh, fine. I can be a little less harsh on her, then. But she has to try, too!"

"I'm sure she will."

Iori's phone rang, interrupting them – only vibrating this time, instead of the previous trumpets – but she clicked it off immediately, not even surprised by it.

"Anyway," she said, looking towards the door. Her chauffeur was apparently right on time. "I guess I have to go now."

Maya shook herself out of the previous mood, rushing stiffly to the stairs. "Ah, yeah! Haha, you don't want to miss the real party, huh? Here, let's walk down, I'll bring you to the door."

Iori smiled back as they walked, but it didn't quite make it to her eyes. "Yeah. Sure."

"But again, Iori-chan," she said as they walked. "Happy birthday, honestly. Fourteen is a big one, you know that, right?"

"Of course! It means I'm finally allowed to get late-night jobs, right?" She stopped on the ground floor landing. "So of course I've been looking forward to that. You better have been planning for it too."

"Mm. We'll talk about it more tomorrow – since you're the first one out of our four, I wanted to run some ideas by you."

"Good. Oh, and… um," Iori said, the open door leaning against her shoulder. "I – I've been meaning to say this for a while lately, cuz it's been annoying me, but it kept slipping my mind. Um…"

"What is it, Iori-chan?"

"That's what I _meant_." Iori very resolutely studied the slightly rusty hinge beside her. "Like. Just 'Iori' is fine, okay? You can stop being so stiff about it already, it's weird."

It didn't hit Maya for a second, the full weight of what that meant. She was still getting used to all the etiquette around names, after all, and her reactions to it all were delayed. But when it finally registered, she really did understand, and felt herself quietly swell with… with what? Relief? Hope? Was there one of those fancy untranslatable words for this?

She smiled wide and calm. "Mm. Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then – Iori."

Iori looked up, the waiting car murmuring in the evening behind her. "Mm. Tomorrow." She gave a tiny wave, and let the door close.

* * *

 _7:30PM  
Minase Household Central Ballroom_

The Minase estate was a sprawling thing. Probably the size of a small university campus, it was a relic from an ostentatious and younger-money phase of the family, something that dad had certainly never been about. He wasn't the type to show off materially, but it was still clear that he was proud of the place, even if half of it went unused. It boasted meticulous gardens, baffling stables, lavish inner halls, and of course an entire freaking ballroom, so even if it could be strange to live somewhere so expansive, it certainly impressed guests.

And there was no shortage of guests tonight. The Minase kids' birthdays had pretty much always served as excuses for unrelated company business galas to be held at the house, and since Iori didn't exactly have her own networking prospects to exploit during them, the difference was most striking during hers. She had hoped to finally get something out of this year's if she was going to be paraded around anyway – she had gotten Kotori to arrange an entire handbag of her debut single CDs for the occasion – but thus far it was insufferable as always.

Currently she was sitting through introductions to Ichigo's stupid friends. Her oldest brother's past few years spent in law school and following dad around on nebulous nepotism excursions had accrued him a million of the exact same kind of acquaintance; all these fellow scions, rising stars, faces in the insufferable post-frat ranks. They seemed to think she was turning ten.

"Eh? Is that right, Iori-chan?" one tall and well-meaning one cooed. "An idol, huh, that seems pretty incredible!"

Ichigo swirled his martini. "Not all that incredible, really. She's still rather new, and we're still discussing whether it'll be a long-term thing or not."

"I've been working since last year, I'll have you know," she said, willing herself to be taller. "So it _is_ long-term."

He continued swirling his martini, probably because he had seen dad make the same gesture at some point and was convinced it was cool now. "Well. As I said, it's a discussion, and –"

"No, it's not. We already _discussed_ it as much as was necessary. Also, where's dad?"

"Why?"

" _Because_ ," she hissed, "I need to talk to him. So where?"

"Over by the orchestra," Ichigo said, pointing out the direction with a flick of his neck, "but don't bother him, he's busy. Minister of Economy's here."

"Eugh." Wonderful. Wonderful.

"Well, anyway, like we were saying…" once of the sharper-looking guys stepped in, shooting a quick glare at Ichigo. "Tell us about it, Iori-chan. Any big developments so far?"

"Her first concert's coming up," Ichigo answered for her. "How long? Another month?"

"This isn't my first concert. I told you about that mall event I did, didn't I?"

"Iori, that's…" he sighed, rubbing his temple, "that's not a concert…"

"It totally is. It counts completely."

"Yeah, well, you promised to take off somewhat faster than that." He nonchalantly looked up to the sparkling chandeliers. "Still waiting."

"Oh c'mon, lay off the kid, Minase," one of the harsher ones snarked, clearly amused despite his words. Ok, they apparently didn't think she was a ten-year-old, they thought she was a _deaf_ ten-year-old, and she wasn't going to waste any more time here. She took a breath, collected herself, and elbowed her way further into the circle.

"Anyway, it was suuuper nice meeting everyone!" she decided, beaming as winningly as she could. "Wow Ichigo, you have such interesting friends! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to meet someone and –"

"Wait, who are you meeting? Someone you invited?" he asked, with a surprised frown.

"What does it matter to you?" Iori said, beaming without making eye contact and digging in her bag to hand out CDs. "Anyway, all of you – here's some copies of my debut single, so if you're here – at _my_ party – you might at least have the decency to listen, right? Get on my good side while you can, hm?"

They were all left baffled, but once they all had one she stomped off before they had a chance to respond. This _was_ , at least technically _,_ her party, and as long as she was around these people she could stand to take advantage of them where she could. She heard some of them snickering as she left and felt her face burn a bit – but it wasn't all of them.

This was exactly why she couldn't stand him lately. A while ago, even last year, she'd thought he was arrogant in a driven and hopeful way, she'd even kind of looked up to how focused he could be – but as soon as he graduated he'd only gotten _mean_. Was he taking it out on her because Izumi wasn't here to bicker with as usual?

Izumi, the middle kid, was overseas for now, accepted a year early to Harvard Medical. Of course they _had_ to be a doctor and a lawyer, it was so typical. And not _just_ a doctor and lawyer, no, this was the Minase family – they were an aspiring prodigy neurosurgeon at the most prestigious school in the world and a hotshot rookie prosecutor at Tokyo High Court. It was so freaking ridiculous.

Dad had always been all fussy about each of them having a clear career path, and as long as each of them stuck to it and took them seriously, there were no problems in the family whatsoever as far as he was concerned. But Iori had never been certain on what _kind_ of path he had imagined for her outside of school, and "idol" was certainly not it – it had been weeks of arguments and refusals and tantrums and speeches and debates before she had even been allowed to consider it, even more of an ordeal than when she'd convinced him to let her go to public school for junior high. At least both her brothers had been on her side for that one – but now Izumi had taken being so far away as an excuse to check out from the family entirely, and Ichigo had decided to become a miniature version of dad.

She finished off her champagne glass of orange juice in one gulp and stuck it on some stranger's table as she passed. She adjusted her dress – she hadn't changed since the office and was able to talk the event organization committee into letting her keep it on, instead of the previously-prepared godawful frilly one they'd somehow expected her to be okay with. She kept walking, acting like she had somewhere to be, and couldn't help but note to herself how good she had gotten at pretending to not hear people.

But moving through a crowd was as likely to get you seen by everyone in it as it was to let you blend in. Right as she'd marked out a likely route she could use to slip out into the gardens, she found herself almost running into someone's chest.

She looked up, "My! I'm so terribly sorry, I... I..."

Iori stepped back, frowning in surprise – it took her a moment to recognize who, exactly, she'd bumped into. She looked so different from how she was last time they spoke, but that stark red hair and easy smile were unmistakable... even if they were mixed with something new in her eyes.

She was hesitant to even acknowledge it. "…Reika?"

"Hey, Iori," the slightly older girl said, shifting her weight in her black velvet dress. "Happy birthday!"

* * *

This sucked.

This was weird, more than anything. They'd found a table for themselves on the relatively quieter second-floor balcony that overlooked the main floor, and picked at the semblance of a dinner they'd cobbled together from passing waiters' hors d'oeuvres. Reika ate composedly, idly watching over the crowds as she finished her gourmet sliders, and Iori felt ridiculous for not having anything to say.

They hadn't spoken in what was probably three years.

"So you got an invitation… huh?" Iori ventured.

Reika smiled. "Of course. What, did you not pick the rest of these guys yourself?" she gestured vaguely to the oblivious businessmen and investors and trophy wives as they milled around on the compass-patterned dance floor.

"Pff. Well, you know."

"You should step up more," she said, half-teasing and half-knowing. "Really."

Iori had successfully reduced her perfect two-inch cube of blueberry cheesecake into a flattened mush on her plate. Reika continued for her.

"Anyways. I came to see you, but I'm officially here representing the Tougouji Group instead of the family."

"Wait, really?" She looked up. "What about your dad?"

"Oh, he's overseas. Some summit in Korea, and he couldn't make time for something like this. No offense. So he handed the invite to me, I guess." She was playing it off with a smooth drink sip, but still was visibly satisfied with herself.

"I see. That's great!" She continued fidgeting with her fork. Reika's dad had always been pretty involved in her life, and as an only child she'd been getting gradually introduced to the duties of running her family's own massive corporation for as long as Iori had known her. "That he trusts you so much."

"Well, I would hope so. But really, I don't wanna report on me," Reika said, sliding her elbows across the table. "I would ask what's new, but I've already heard. You started working?"

She hadn't expected Reika to know about that, but… she should have. Reika had always had a knack for that; not in a gossipy way, but an observant one. She knew how to keep her eyes open. "Oh, I – yeah. I have."

With anyone else she would have jumped right into that kind of attention, taken the opportunity to gush and brag, and even here she was almost excited enough to be able to. But it was different with Reika.

"Well yeah, haha!" she laughed, in a weird kind of vocal fry way Iori hadn't heard before. "Would be hard not to – even here they're talking about it,"

"Mhm. That figures."

"That said, I was kinda surprised. I mean – I know we talked about it, way back, but… hehe. Just seems wild to me, that both of us…" Reika sat up again, crossing her legs. "You, um. You know I debuted too, right?"

Iori let her fork drop. "No, I have heard! I know it's been a while now! I um, I just never really… got around to reaching out. But I really did want to congratulate you. On everything."

"Not at all, not at all! I totally get how things go when you switch schools, I don't blame you." She batted at the air reassuringly. "Everything changes."

"Yeah." She'd hoped to skirt around that one subject.

"Here's my card," she said, sliding a rather garish red-and-black business card with her face on it across the table, and then a moment later an entire jewel case after it, "and my first full album! Would love if you gave it a listen, Iori."

She took them both. The album was titled _Lucky Angel_ , she noted as she shuffled it's beautiful sky-blue portrait cover into her handbag alongside all her own CDs. "Um. Yeah, I definitely will."

The place they'd picked out wasn't entirely out of the way, it turned out. A few other people on the balcony were beginning to take notice of them, and suddenly even the chandeliers felt overbearing, the conversation laughable. Reika apparently felt it too.

"But it's so boring in here, don't you think? I feel like I can barely talk. Hey," Reika said, standing up with a sudden tinge of excitement to her, "wanna walk with me a while?"

"Wait, what? Like right now?"

"Yeah! C'mon, c'mon – the gardens'll probably be empty now, right?"

"Huh? Sure, I –" but Reika had already grabbed her by the arm, and the discussion was over. "Oh slow down a sec!"

But regardless of protestations, they walked. Reika deftly led them to the big marble spiral staircase and down to the first floor again, cutting a way through the crowd. They quickly adapted to turning back on the charm and politely laughing off the potential chatters now taking notice of them, and after only a few pleasantries they made it to the yawning entrance hallway. The place really could be nice, when you were moving around at least – you could appreciate it more when you weren't stuck.

"Alright, alright!" Iori whined, finally twisting her arm free. She felt a smile starting to creep up, despite herself. "Jeez, how do you still know your way around here so well?" The route Reika settled on would take them to the southern side of the gardens, the one closest to the actual day-to-day living spaces and therefore the least populated by party stragglers.

"All the times you used to have me over? C'mon Iori – I still love this place." She looked up into the evening, wearing a sharp grin herself. "Heh. Wonder how long it'll take for them to realize we're gone."

Iori caught up with her, craning her neck around the corner they came to. "Hours, hopefully. Here, it's empty after all."

They came, more quietly now, to one of the outdoor walkways. It clung to this entire side of the mansion, running above the red lilac bushes and in front of a long wall of glass windows and various sitting rooms. It had taken until she made friends with Yayoi that Iori realized how big the place truly was, and it occurred to her that the entire Takatsuki household was perhaps half the size of this one, rarely-used section. The mellow evening hung in the air, with small spotlights scattered among the immaculately-tended gardens and candle-mimicking porch lights along the walkway.

"Ah! I really, really couldn't breathe in there," Reika exclaimed as she stretched. "Never thought I'd have to be around these people so often!"

"These people? Who did you recognize there?"

"Hm?" She turned back, still smiling. "Oh, I'm sure I knew a bunch of them. It's that _type_ of person I mean, they blend together."

Their slow pace finally slowed down completely, and Reika stopped first.

"Hey, Iori…"

"Yeah?"

"I came here to ask you something, you know."

"I'm listening, okay?" She was still all adrenalined up. "I'll hear you out, so go ahead. Must be something pretty big, to only ask after you march me out here."

She smiled, silently admitting to it. "I'm starting a unit. I've been putting together plans for it for… for a really long time. And it's gonna be big, Iori – really, really big."

"Well… congratulations." Reika had been performing for more than a year at this point, so of course she'd be further along. More resources too, like Maya had said, since Tougouji's entertainment branches were so established. Iori had always been a little behind her; in age, in talent, in progress in general. It wasn't new. "You're that confident about it? I'm glad."

Without warning Reika spun around to face her fully, and took her hands with such earnestness that Iori flinched. "Come with me! And be part of it. I know it's been forever, but… look, I know it's shitty to show up out of nowhere and ask something like this, but I had to come to you first! I… I wanted to. There's totally still room for you! It's set for a three-person group, and –"

Iori gently shook free, and Reika let her without struggle. "Um… I'm really sorry, ok? Like, I get that you're excited, and it means a lot that you're recognizing my – my talent. I can tell by the way you talk about it, and… I'm happy you asked me. And I'm happy you're doing it! But I can't."

"Well, why?" She blinked, shook her head. "Listen, if you're worried about logistics, we can make it work! There's a lot I could do, seriously!"

She couldn't meet her eyes. "No, I… I don't think I'm able. I have my producer, and…"

"Well he can come too! I don't – well, I produce myself really, it's the only way to take things into your own hands. But dad's given me a blank check budget, so I can beat whatever salary this guy has, and…" She did that nose-wrinkling thing she did whenever she thought hard enough, and suddenly raised her voice. "And! Even that one friend of yours! The orange-haired one, she's at the same agency right?"

"Reika, I mean it! I can't. And besides, Yayoi would be even less likely to agree than me."

"Then we can talk to her! She has such an innocent and cutesy image, it would fit the unit really well! And alright, even if she's a lost cause we have plenty of other options, I have some in mind actually –"

"What's that supposed to mean?" She couldn't help but be insulted by that, vicariously. "'Cutesy'? You haven't even met her."

Reika hadn't expected pushback at that, and hesitated. But her smile was back in just a moment, and she seemed calmer now in general. "Heh. Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. Obviously I get that no one's actually that saccharine off stage, you don't have to defend her."

Iori felt her frown set a bit. "Reika. I can't, okay? I can't go with you."

Reika considered that, with a slow and silent sigh. "Alright. I get it. I guess you found something there."

"…Maybe."

"Something that you really can't take with you?"

"I… I don't know." She couldn't bring herself to make eye contact.

Reika looked back, her expression sinking back to a straight-faced baseline. She turned away sharply, and took the few steps up to the balcony railing, looking over the artfully-lit paths and dark petals of the Minase gardens.

"I get it," she said, a hint of amused disappointment. "I only half expected this to work but… I did mean it, you know? Everything we talked about when we were growing up, about being on stage together, even now that I get how the job really is. I'm not going to stop moving just because you said no, but… I really did mean it."

Iori finally relaxed, leaning on the glass-pane wall of the darkened sitting room the balcony ran along. "Then I'm sorry. I meant it too, back then."

A plane blinked sluggishly in the sky.

"It's not just the unit. I'm going to Idol Ultimate this year," Reika said. "We already have the invitation, I've been preparing. And I'm going to win."

"Oh."

"So are you aiming the same as I am? Or are you really fine with being held back like this?"

"I'm not being held back! I don't need a fancy agency, or, or whatever else you have." She stayed calm. Unprovoked, even with her fingernails stabbing her palms. "Reika. I don't want… to win any tournament."

"Oh?"

"I want," she said, heart beating ridiculously hard at what she had already started to say, "more than that. I already decided, if I was going to go for this, I'd do it right. I'm aiming to… to be the best in the country. And I know I can!"

Reika didn't even blink. "Do you really believe that?"

"Yes. I do. And that's why I can't come with you. You know I'll never be able to if I'm next to you, or anyone else."

"Then prove it to me," she said, more coldly. "Come on, meet me at IU. If you can't hope for at least that, then your family will have been right the whole time – you really don't belong here."

Iori's mind was still racing – what was she so scared of? Getting beaten like Ritsuko and Azusa had? Reika was right – she shouldn't be thinking of this as something beyond her. She couldn't let the warnings get to her, she was better than that. All she had to do was explain to Maya, and then do well enough to get her spot too; cold feet was not an option and they still had practically a whole year. Fine.

"Fine. Fine, I will."

"Then it's a promise," Reika said, pushing herself off the bannister and heading back to the larger hallway. "That's all I wanted to say. Let's head in."

Iori followed her, "What, just like that?"

"Well, yes. You answered me, and we've been out here a while."

How was she so unbothered by all this? "Oh – oh come on! You can't just say things like that and then –"

"And Iori."

"What."

Her heels clacked and echoed on the tiles as they came nearer to the buzz of the crowd. "Just so you know, even if things change – you'll always have a place at Tougouji if you ask for it. Whatever else happens."

She could tell that wasn't condescension, but it still bugged her. "…Alright. But don't even think about it until I ask."

Reika finally smiled again. "Heh. Attagirl. Now, shall we get back to the circus?"

"Yeah. Get it over with."

And they stepped together back into the ballroom, into the immediate music and fussiness and polished sheens. Iori was promptly pulled off to ooh and aah over presents, the dull roar of ceremony, but it all passed around her. She wore her face well, smiled perfectly, performed the bright charming daughter better than she ever had – but inside she was twenty things at once. And when the night finally ended, Reika was gone.


End file.
